A lovely Little Trick
by 96flowers
Summary: The fates visited us in the future and gave us the chance to change everything. So here we are, in our parents 5 year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with 7 books, 6 people from the future, and 8 people from the past. Can we change the out come of the war?
1. Everyone Meets

**Okay, here we go. This has been bugging me for awhile. After this Chapter Please Note: James Potter will be written as either James or Prongs, James Sirius-Jay or Jamey, Lily Evans Potter-Lily or Evans, Lily Luna- Lils or Flower, Albus Severus- Al, Older Remus- Lupin or Remus, Younger Remus- Moony or Remmy, Older Sirius- Padfoot or Snuffles, Professor Snape- Snape, Younger Severus- Severus or Sev. **

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, so no I don't own Harry Potter. **

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A Lovely Little Trick

Ch. One

Everyone Meets

"Are you sure this going to work? I mean this is something we really only have one shot at, Lils." James Sirius Potter said to his younger sister.

"For the last time, yes, I'm sure it is going to work. The Fates gave me the spell after they told us it was okay to change the past," said Lily Luna Potter.

"Let her be James. She needs to concentrate in order to do this properly. We don't want to end up in the stone ages with our parents being two years old and our grandparents as bratty ten year olds." Albus Severus Potter said.

"I trust her to do this properly. If this is done even a little wrong the past will change, none of us will be born, and we will have a paradox," Teddy Remus Lupin said for about the hundredth time.

"Yes we know!" James said exasperatedly.

"Got it!" Lily said excited. "Give me the books, I'll send those through first then I'll go back and grab Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Moony, Uncle Padfoot, Uncle Regulas and…a young Severus Snape and meet you guys in the Great Hall in our parents' fifth year. Teddy, you will have to take the rest of them back and set up the time bubble, I won't be able to come forward until that is set up."

"Right, got it." Teddy said getting out his wand. "I'm glad Uncle Harry gave us permission to use his memories, along with Uncle Ron's and Aunt Hermione's." He picks up the books and eyes them wearily. "Alright, let's go, before I lose my nerve."

Lily took the seven books, placing a note on the top, and then started to wave her wand and mutter under breath. Suddenly there was a bright flash, and the books were gone. Then, Lily gave a small wave and nod of her head, and started muttering again. There was another flash, and she was gone. Teddy gathered the rest of them together and he performed the spell sending James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Rose and Hugo Weasley and himself back to Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts.

Dolores Umbridge was sitting in her office plotting different ways to get Harry Potter expelled from Hogwarts, expose his lies, and to get him sent to Azkaban.

Suddenly, there was flash, and seven books appeared on her desk. There was a letter on top with her name on it. After checking for curses and poisons, and finding none, she opened the letter.

_Dear Professor Umbridge,_

_These books tell the story of Harry Potter's life for the past 4 ½ years, and contain the next 3 ½. These books come from the future, 20 years after the final one takes place as are we. We promise that everything in these books are 100% true. You are to read these books with all of the Hogwarts students and staff as well as the following people:_

_Remus J Lupin and his dog Snuffles _

_All Weasleys not currently at Hogwarts _

_Minster of Magic Cornelius Fudge _

_Aurors Kingsley Shaklebot, Nyphmadora Tonks and Alistair "Mad-Eye" Moody _

_Amelia Bones head of the department of Magical Law_

_ There will also be several others joining the reading after a time bubble is activated. A letter is enclosed that is for the headmaster, do not try to open it, for if anyone other than the headmaster tries, said person will be turned into a toad for the whole book reading._

_Yours truly,_

_JSP, ASP, LLP, TRL, RMW, and HFW_

Umbridge took the books and ran from her office straight to the headmaster's office to give him their charge.

Lily Luna landed face down on a hard floor with a groan. She distinctly heard several other moans at the same moment, and knew that her spell had worked. Lily started to sit up and draw her wand so she could defend herself, because several of these people choose to curse first and ask questions later.

"Who are you?" asked a young women of about nineteen with bright red hair and emerald green eyes. She had her wand pointed straight at Lily Luna, as did everyone else in the room. "Where are we?"

"We are in a room that has no-where and no-when," Lily Luna said, continuing from the confused looks she is getting. "I am from the future; somewhere between thirty to forty years. I have come back to take the eight of you forward about 18 years s..."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're from the future and you want to take us into the future but still your past?" asked a man with shoulder length black hair and bright black eyes.

"I was going to explain, if you hadn't interrupted!" Lily Luna snapped, annoyed. "Sorry…I have a temper."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have interrupted." Said the young man. His look read clearly, 'I don't know who you are but I like you.'

"You're fine, I should've known that was going to happen. Anyway, as I was saying, I'm here to take you forward 18 years. We have seven books there that all of Hogwarts, my family, and some Ministry officials must read. Those books follow the life of a boy and his friends through their school career. The reason we are reading these books is so we can prevent many, many deaths. My brothers, cousins, and I have been given permeation by the Fates. They are the ones who gave me the spells that allow this to happen."

"What's the boy's name?" asked a young man with round hazel eyes and jet black hair that stuck out all over the place.

"Please don't freak out, remember this is the future, okay?" Lily Luna asked quietly, she knew this part is going to be hard. When she got all of the heads nodding yes she said "Harry Potter."

The reaction gained was rather strange, everyone just looked back and forth between Lily Luna, the young woman with red hair from before, and the man with hazel eyes. The couple was staring open mouthed at Lily Luna.

"Maybe introductions would be good then?" Lily asked tentatively. When she received a lot of nods, she continued, "Well, for starters, my name is Lily Luna Potter, I am the only daughter of Harry James Potter and Ginervra Molly Weasley, and I'm eleven years old."

"So you are my granddaughter?" asked the hazel eyed man, to which he received a small "yes" from Lily Luna. "Okay then, well, I am James Christopher Potter and I am nineteen years old."

"I am Sirius Orion Black and I am nineteen years old," said the man who had interrupted her earlier.

"I am Lily Marie Evans and I am also nineteen years old," said the young woman with red hair and green eyes.

"I am Remus John Lupin and I am also nineteen years old," said a boy with sandy brown hair and brown eyes flecked with amber.

"I am Frank Louis Longbottom and I am 21years old," said a young man with black hair and round warm eyes.

"I am Alice Longbottom and I am also 21 years old," said a young woman with long brown hair and a round childlike face.

"I am Regulas Abraxerus Black and I am 17 years old," said a teenager with short black hair that looked very much like Sirius but his eyes were cold.

"And I am Severus Tobias Snape and I am also 19 years old," said a young man with shoulder length greasy black hair and a hooked nose.

"Okay now that that's out of the way, I must warn you four," said Lily Luna pointing to Remus, Sirius, James and Lily, "that when we do get to the time that until we are finished with the third book you refrain from using your nick-names."

"Why?" they asked simultaneously.

"Because it will give away part of the story for people. Now, the rest of you, at the beginning it might not seem like you are important to the overall outcome, but believe me each of you are." Lily Luna said and took out her wand, "now all I have to do is cast a tracking spell and when the time bubble is activated we will be pulled into Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts sometime in November if I cast it correctly, which I did, so hold on. Also please Lily, James, when we arrive don't just go and strangle Harry. He doesn't know you. You can sit near him but let him make the first move."

With that said Lily Luna started muttering again so they wouldn't ask what she meant by that and with a flash they were all gone.

After Umbridge took the books to the Headmaster he called all the students down to the Great Hall and waited for the guests to arrive before he explained what was to happen. Once everybody arrived he began to explain;

"Madame Umbridge received these seven books earlier this evening with a letter saying we were to invite The Minister of Magic, all the Weasleys that are not currently students at Hogwarts, Professor Lupin and his dog snuffles, Aurors Kingsley Shacklebot, Nymphadora Tonks, and Alistair "Mad-eye" Moody, and Madam Amelia Bones," as each name was said the person stood and waived and snuffles barked, "we are to read these books. I got a separate letter stating that we will be having several guests from the future and past as well. The letter also enclosed two spells for me to preform one to bring the future people back and one to put us in a time bubble. The time bubble is so that we won't be vulnerable while reading and so you won't miss any days of school. Once the time bubble is activated the Great Hall, the Kitchens and several rooms off to the sides as well as some restrooms will be in the bubble, the rest of the world "freezes" you could say. When the bubble is released it will have only have been a few seconds no matter how long we were in the bubble."

All the students broke out into an excited whisper. Over at the Gryffindor table;

"I wonder who the books are about." Said Hermione Granger to her best friend Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, "if there are people coming from the future maybe it's to tell is how to stop Voldemort."

"Maybe," said Harry, "I just hope that there not about me."

Back at the high table;

"The books," as soon as Dumbledore started talking again everyone went quite, "are about our own Mr. Harry Potter….."

SMACK. Harry hit his head on the table and groaned out loud, "WHY ME EVERY BLOODY TIME!?"

"I am sorry my boy but it is what it is, anyway these books go from Harry's first year to his seventh year. This means that 2 ½ of the books have not happened yet. Now I am going to start the spell to bring the future people back." And with that he started to wave his wand and mutter under his breath then there was a bright flash of light and there was five people lying in the ground.

A young man of about 21 with dark blue hair stood up and said, "Yes! It worked! Anyway sorry about that, my name is Teddy Remus Lupin….."

Remus gasps and falls out of his chair. Umbridge takes out her clipboard and starts scribbling fast and says out loud. "Werewolves aren't allowed to have kids!"

"Yes, yes, I know, but one thing I AM NOT A WEREWOLF, second they are still HUMAN, thirdly it is not passed down in genes it is only of you are BITTEN." Teddy all but shouted at her. Remus and everyone just looked astounded that someone would say that to her was an understatement, the only people who weren't were the other four kids from the future and Dumbledore who was just good at hiding it.

"YOU CAN'T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!" Umbridge screeched "I AM A MISISTRY OFFICIAL!"

To say the people looked unfazed was an understatement.

"One, we are not from this time so you have no control over us, two I will talk to you anyway I chose if you insinuate that just because someone is not a pureblooded witch or wizard they are inferior then you do not deserve my respect, and three never, ever, disrespect my parents or anyone of my family when I am in the room! I will not hesitate to hex you!" Teddy said in a deathly calm voice.

"That is very true, he will," winced a kid who looks very much like Harry.

"Anyway as I was saying, I am Teddy Remus Lupin and my parents are, as you guessed, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks." This caused said two look at each other and pass out cold.

After 5 min, they were finally brought back around and the introductions continued with a young teenager of about 14 who looked like Harry but had brown eyes and his hair was lighter,

"Hi, my name is James Sirius Potter….." he began only to be interrupted by a few people falling out of their chairs and Snape thinking '_great another Potter, just what we need'_. "Yes, yes, I know I'm named after a 'murderer', get over it. I am 14 years old and most people call me Jay, I am the son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley."

This caused every Weasley and Harry minus Molly and Arthur to fall out of their chairs. The next bot to be introduced was a boy who could have been Harry's twin had he not had straight hair,

"My name is Albus Severus Potter….." this time Snape and Harry really did pass out, it took about 2 min for them to come around. "My name WILL be explained at the end of the seventh book so no one is allowed to ask! Any who, I am 12 years old and most people just call me Al, my parents are, well, Harry and Ginny. James and I also have a younger sister named Lily Luna Potter. She is 11 and will be arriving with the people from the past."

After letting that information digest a minute a young girl with bushy red hair stepped forward and introduced herself;

"My name is Rose Mia Weasley, I am 13 years old and the daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." This caused said people to just blush.

"About time!" Shouted Harry, "you two have been dancing around each other FOREVER!"

The final member stepped forward and introduced himself.

"My name is Hugo Fredrick Weasley, I am 11 years old and my parents are Ron and Hermione as well."

"Well that was informative. If everyone would stand up please." Dumbledore said and as after everyone was standing he waved his wand and everyone was in sleep wear and where the House tables had been there were now hundreds of couches and floor pillows. "We are going to be here a while why not be comfortable? Now I will perform the second spell that will cause the time bubble and the people from the past should appear."

With that he started muttering again and there was a weird glowing around the whole hall that when it disappeared that outside the windows was pitch black. There was another flash and nine people were climbing to their feet in the middle of the hall. A young girl of about 11 stepped forward,

"I'm Lily Luna Potter most people just call me Lil." She said with a smile. "Yes these people are from the past, and yes three are dead, two are insane, one is on the run, and two are sitting in the room."

With that they began to introduce themselves;

"Hi, I am Remus Lupin" Moony said.

"Well, this is odd" the older Remus said. "This could get confusing… how about I go with Professor Lupin."

"Professor? Remus you old wolf! Knew you would end up a teacher. Anyway, the name's James Potter." James had to stop for a minute when everyone turned to look at Harry who was starring with really big eyes. "Since one of my…oh god…_grandkids_…is named after me call me James and him Jay." James looked really freaked when he finally remembered his grandkids.

While James was freaking out:

"Hi, My name is Lily Evans, that ponce freaking out is my fiancé" Lily said with a fond smile at James. "Call me anything other than Lily or Evans and I will hex you. Teacher or student."

"My name is Sirius Black. Just call me Siri" Sirius said with a grin and Padfoot wagged his tail. None of the people from the past noticed the looks being sent at Sirius.

"I am Frank Longbottom and this is my wife Alice" Frank said while Alice waved. Neville was stuck between running up to them and hugging them or baking away slowly, he opted to stay where he was.

"My name is Regulas Black" Regulas said in a monotone and did not elaborate further.

"My name is Severus Snape, and since there are two of us call me Severus or Snape, but show older me some respect and call him Professor." Severus said with a sneer.

After they finished introducing themselves Dumbledore stood up:

"We will begin reading in the morning; the book is called _Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone._ All the teachers will be on the room at the end of the hall and the people from the past are welcome to take the room next to ours and the people from the future the one across. You can get acquainted with the people from different times during breakfast, off to bed. Good Night" said Dumbledore.

And with that everyone separated off to the separate rooms, wondering what The Golden Trio is like, and what the next few days have in store. Only Harry, Ron, and Hermione were worried because it means that everything they did was going to be told allowed, all the rule breaking. Everything!

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**Hoped you liked it! If I get positive feed back I will post the first reading chapter soon. Review please. **


	2. Chapter 1 The Boy Who Lived

**Well here we go, first chapter of the book.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. :'(  
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**Anything Bold belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. **

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A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter Two

The Boy Who Lived

At what would have been eight o'clock the next morning Dumbledore let off fireworks with his wand succeeding in waking up all the students past, present, and future. After a very quiet breakfast and showers it was finally time to read.

"Now before we begin I have a few things to say, everything in these books is 100% true, Teddy confirmed it to me last night, also no points can be given or taken away during this reading, and no detentions will be given out either." Dumbledore said with the normal twinkle in his eye. The trio all let out sighs of relief. "I do believe I will read First; **Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone."**

'**Chapter one The Boy Who Lived'**

Smack! Harry face palmed and everyone from the past looked confused, and everyone else gave him pitying looks. Which he ignored . . .well _tried_ to ignore.

'**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much'**

"Why would anyone want to be normal?!" shouted Lee.

"Dursley? Isn't that the whale of a man my sister married?" Lily asked James who just looked at as if to say 'you expect me to remember this?'

"Yes." Was all Harry said which made Lily worry.

'**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"Drills?" asked all the purebloods and most of the half-bloods.

"I will make a list of muggle things and the end of each book those who want to know can come find me and I will explain," said the muggle studies professor, Charity Burbage.

'**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.'**

"So it is Petunia and by the sounds of it, things haven't changed." Lily said causing Harry, both Snapes, Remus, Moony, Sirius, and James to snort. Harry cast a confused look at both Snapes. "But why are they in this?" When no one answered she huffed and sat back.

'**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley**'

"Small!?" yelled Harry, "he was never small!" This earned him a warning look from Mrs. Weasley and a confused one from Lily and James. _How would he know that, I doubt we would have had much contact with them. _

'**And in their opinion where was no finer boy anywhere.'**

** The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it of someone found out about the Potters.'**

"What's wrong with the Potters?" asked everyone from the past and future as well as the teachers sans Snape and Umbridge, and most of the students in the hall. This caused every Potter to go red.

'**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; **(Lily sighs) **in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended that she didn't have a sister, **(Lily sighs again) ** because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband'**

"HE IS NOT GOOD-FOR-NOTHING" yelled Remus', Moony, Sirius, all the Potter kids, all the teachers (sans Umbridge and Snape) and most all of the Gryffindor House, though only knowing him from stories, causing James to blush.

'**were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.'**

"Not a word" said all of the Ravenclaws, Hermione, Lily, Lils, Rose and Teddy.

"Who would want to be like you?" said Fred with an offended expression.

'**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away;'**

"What's wrong with him?" asked most of the hall minus the Slytherins, causing Harry to blush lightly.

'**They didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.'**

"Pot. Kettle. Black" said Lily to the confusion of the purebloods again.

** 'When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,'**

"Why?" asked Fred and George gaging at the prospect of being boring.

"Because he is boring" answered Harry matter-of-factly.

'**And Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

** None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.'**

"Stupid muggles, their so blind" Malfoy drawled from his place at the Slytherin table. Every muggleborn and Half-Blood in the hall glared at him.

'**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's privet drive.**

**It was in the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar- a cat reading a map.'**

"Minnie!" shouted Sirius and Prongs, earning a warning look from Lily and Mrs. Weasley.

"Don't call me that" ProfessorMcGonagall snapped, though her eyes held an amused twinkle.

"You know you love us" they said together and McGonagall sighed.

'**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen- then he jerked hid head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive—no, **_**looking**_** at the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or**_** signs.**

McGonagall gasped realizing what day it was and started to tear up. She earned a few curious looks from the students. Some of the staff also realized what day it was and were staring straight ahead trying not to cry. Even the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes had gone out. Mrs. Weasley hid her face in her hands. The students were trying to think of what caused this. The people from the future all looked subdued. The people from the past were just confused.

"What were you doing at my sisters?" Lily asked McGonagall. All she got in response was a watery sniff.

'**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town he thought of nothing except a large order if drills he was hoping to get that day.**

** But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.' **

"That's weird?" asked a confused Slytherin first year pureblood.

"It is for muggles," said a Ravenclaw seventh year.

'**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes—the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell one a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing and emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!'**

"The nerve!" shouted Fred earning groans from the Weasleys and laughs from everyone sans Umbridge, Fudge, Percy, and Snape.

**But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt- these people were obviously collecting for something . . . yes that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.'**

"Can you say 'one track mind'?" asked Jay dryly.

"You have no idea," groaned Harry, then realized that he just talked to his son looked a little shocked.

** 'Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. **_**He**_** didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime.'**

A young pureblood witch from Slytherin was about to ask why when Sirius said, "Muggles don't use owls for post, so most have never seen them." To which he got many amused look from the staff. "What? I paid attention in muggle studies so I could annoy my Mother."

'**Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.'**

"So, he doesn't change much then" mumbled Harry earning a few curious glances from the people from the past and the students that, he completely ignored.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road'**

"He walked?!" cried the twins and Harry falling out of their chairs earning some snickers from the students and glares from the staff. James, Sirius and Moony looked on with proud eyes at the jokes.

'**To buy himself a bun from the bakery.'**

"Oh, that figures" they said climbing back into their seats.

** 'He'd forgotten about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his was back past them, clutching a large doughnut bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard – "**

"—**yes, their son Harry— "'**

Some of the older students and the rest of the adults all gasped realizing the day. They all hung their heads, the Weasleys that just figured it out got up and moved closer to Harry. Snuffles moved from his spot in front of Remus and jumped into Harrys lap. Harry realizing the day put his face in his fur, earning confused looks from Sirius and Moony.

"What about us?" asked James and Lily together. This earned them sad looks from everyone that knew what was happening. The people from the past all looked really confused. James, Lily, Sirius and Moony didn't like where this was going. '_So young, so innocent. I may not have liked Potter but I didn't want him dead'. _Snape thought.

'**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

** He dashed back up across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking. . . no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.'**

This earned snorts from everyone in the room.

"I don't know where YOU came from but even in the muggle world Potter isn't very common," said James heatedly. He didn't like this guy at all. He wanted to know why the book was talking about him so much.

'**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew **_**was**_** called Harry. He'd never seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"They didn't even know your name?!" Al asked. His father had never mentioned that tid-bit of information.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her—if **_**he'd**_** had a sister like that' **

"Like what?" asked Severus, "Smart, pretty, and powerful," causing Lily to go very red. This really did earn some confused glances from Harry and most of the students. Snape looked like he agreed with his younger self but didn't say anything, he didn't need Harry knowing of his relationship with his mother.

'**But all the same these people in cloaks. . . **

** He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door. **

** "Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made a passerby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"'**

"GONE!" shouted Frank, Alice, Lily, Sirius, James, and Moony. Regulas and Severus looked like a cross between happy and scared, but were trying to hide it. The rest of the people who didn't know the day before all looked at the James and Lily in sadness.

"He is dead." Umbridge said in triumph with her high, annoying voice.

"No, he is not dead." Harry said through gritted teeth, the DA all nodding their heads on agreement.

"LIES! The book just said he was dead!" Umbridge screeched.

"No the book said GONE _not_ DEAD," Ron said harshly. She looked ready to explode but Lily cut her off;

"What do you mean he's not dead Harry?" Lily asked her son panicked.

"I'm sure the books will explain." Hermione said, seeing that Harry didn't trust himself not to yell at Umbridge again.

"Okay" she said also seeing Harry trying to keep his cool.

** 'And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

** 'Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.'**

That earned quite snorts from everyone in the room. The atmosphere was sad, even the some of the Slytherins looked sad. The people from the past knew that something bad must have happened and were very worried.

** 'As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood—was the tabby cat he'd seen that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.' **

"Professor, what are you doing there?" Lily asked her mentor quietly, dreading the answer.

"You'll see soon enough," she said not meeting Lily's eyes.

** '"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

** The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

** Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!")**. **Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report in the evening news:**

** "And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern," The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

** "Well Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early—it's not until next week folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

** Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls by flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters.' **

"Yes, what is with the whole whisper about the Potters? What happened to us?" asked James a little more than a bit annoyed at getting sad looks and no answers.

"Dad, it will be explained in just a few pages. Please don't make me explain," came Harry's mumbled reply from snuffles fur. _What happened that is making my own son so sad? Unless….no, we weren't…..were we? _James thought to himself, getting very scared.

"It's okay Harry. You don't have to tell us." Lily said, thinking along the same lines as James.

Remus was sitting with his arm around Harry and was wondering how they were going to take this.

**'Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er—Petunia, dear—you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

** As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**(Lily sighs)

** "No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

** "Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls. . . shooting stars. . . and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today. . ."  
**

** "**_**So**_**" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought. . . maybe . . . it was something to do with. . . you know. . . **_**her**_** crowd."**

"Her crowd?" asked a third year Hufflepuff.

"He means witches and wizards. My sister has always been jealous of me being a witch." Lily responded sadly. James put his arm around her.

** 'Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter". He decided he didn't care. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son– he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

"**What's name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"**Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."'**

"No one asked you!" a seventh year Ravenclaw shouted.

"I think it's a lovely name," Mrs. Weasley said gently to Lily, who smiled back at the older Mother.

'"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

** He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

** Was he imagining things? Could all this have been anything to do with the Potters? If it had . . . if it got out that they were related to a pair of—well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

** The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters **_**were**_** involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley.'**

"We wouldn't want to either," James said heatedly. "What is going on here Headmaster?"

He got no answer, the twinkle is Dumbledore's eyes were still missing, making him look his age. This worried the people from the past. '_What could've happened to Lily and James?' _was running through their thoughts.

'**The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind . . . He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on—he yawned and turned over—it couldn't affect **_**them**_**. . . .' **

"That just jinxed it!" shouted Regulas and Severus surprising everyone, they forgotten they were there.

'**How very wrong he was.**

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat in the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

** A man appeared in the corner the cat was watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd he just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

** Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging from the silver in his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind his half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.'**

"What are the two of you doing there?" Frank asked getting very annoyed with not getting any answers. Neville leaned over from his place next to him and whispered in his ear, he turned a deathly white.

"What is it Frank?" Alice asked, he whispered to her and she turned the same color. "Oh"

"What?" Lily asked, scared. All she got was a shake of the head. Alice motioned for Dumbledore to keep reading.

** 'Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcomed. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat amused him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

** 'He found what he was looking for in his pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. the nearest lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again – the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-outer, until the only lights left in on the while street where two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes if the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

** "Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

** He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking women who was wearing square glassed exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

"**How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

** "All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here"'**

This is the part of the story everyone from the past was looking forward to, what the hell was going on.

Harry had brought his head out of snuffles fur and was looking at his parents with red rimmed eyes. They beckoned him over, and for the first time he could remember Harry James Potter sat between his parents had hugged them.

**'Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

** "Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no – even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls . . . shooting stars. . . . Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent—I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."'**

"Hey! I like him!" Sirius shouted, trying, and failing, to lighten the mood.

"My point exactly," McGonagall said sarcastically.

"You can joke!" the twins shouted, fake fainting, earning watery chuckles from people and a glare from their mother and McGonagall.

** '"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."'**

"So that means for us it will be another three years." Said Alice doing some quick math.

The kids from the future all looked ready to cry. Lil got up and sat on Jay's lap, Jay buried his face in her shoulder. Al was leaning against Teddy whose hair was currently black. Rose and Hugo went over to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who just pulled them into their laps. This really started to worry the people from the past.

'"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the street in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."**

** She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has**_** gone, Dumbledore?" **

** "It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"'**

"A what?" asked most of the people in the hall.

'"**A **_**what**_**?"**

** "A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

** "No thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who **_**has**_** gone—" **

** "My dear Professor McGonagall, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense – for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people call him by his proper-name:**_** Voldemort**_**."'**

A collective shudder went through the hall. The only ones who didn't were Harry, Dumbledore, the people from the past and future and the Aurors.

'**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who'. I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's**(flinch) **name." **

** "I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_(flinch)** , was frightened of."**

** "You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort **(flinch)** had powers I will never have."'**

"Only because you're too noble to use them sir." said Frank with most of the hall nodding in agreement.

** '"Only because you're too—well – **_**noble**_** to use them."'**

Frank blinked.

"You think like Minnie!" shouted Sirius pointing at Frank.

"Don't call me that, Mr. Black," growled McGonagall.

Sirius just smiled innocently and waved. Trying and failing to lighten the mood once again.

**'"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

** Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"'**

Everyone from the past leaned forward.

** 'It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard, wall all day, for neither as a cat or as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying. She was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

** "What they're **_**saying**_**," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are—are – that they're – **_**dead**_**."'**

"WHAT!" Moony, Sirius, Severus, Frank and Alice. Regulas looked upset because, while he might be joining the Death Eaters later this year, he still liked the Potters, he would never admit that, but still. Lily and James were silently crying;

"Is that true, Harry?" Lily asked her son quietly.

"I wish it wasn't," mumbled Harry into her shoulder. Lily and James rapped their arms around Harry and they cried silently, everyone in the Hall were either crying or close to it, even most of the Slytherins and Snape. (sans-Fudge, Umbridge, and some of the colder hearted Slytherins). '_He may be a liar, but no one deserves that, no one!' _Percy thought drying his eyes.

After a moment of silence Dumbledore continued in a more somber tone;

**'Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

** "Lily and James . . . I can't believe it . . . I didn't want to believe it . . . Oh, Albus . . . "**

"I didn't know you cared" James said quietly.

"Of course I do. I care about all of my students" McGonagall said through her tears.

** Dumbledore reached out and patted her shoulder. "I know . . . I know . . ." he said heavily.**

** Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potters' son, Harry. But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's**(Flinch)** power somehow broke—and that's why he's gone."**

** Dumbledore nodded glumly.'**

"Wow, James mate, your son . . . he is awesome." Frank said in very serious voice. Everyone sans Umbridge, Fudge and Snape where nodding their heads in agreement, Snape looked as if he agreed but wouldn't admit it to anyone.

** '"It's—it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done . . . all the people he's killed . . . he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding . . . of all the things to stop his . . . but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"'**

"I think we would all like to know that," said one of the Greengrass sisters.

"I am fairly certain that it will be explained by the end of the first book." Dumbledore said cryptically. Harry looked at Dumbledore but he avoided Harry's eyes. Harry huffed and snuggled between his parents.

**'"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

** Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff and he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagird's late. I suppose it was he told you I'd be here, by the way?" **(said half-giant turned red)

** "Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why**_** you're here, of all places?"'**

"That's what I want to know," said Lily

** '"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle.'**

"WHAT!" screeched Lily, "My sister hates me and James! Do you honestly think she will look after him properly?"

"That is the only place where he would have been safe. I'm sure the books will explain, if you do not have your answer buy the end of the first one then I will tell you," said Dumbledore calmly, though he did look nervous. He may be the headmaster, and a very powerful wizard, but when it comes to easily angered red headed mothers, he tries not to be on the end of that temper, which, at this point wasn't working.

"Fine," Lily huffed none too happily. James, Sirius, and Moony all exchanged glances that clearly said, _this does not bode well._

'**They're the only family that he has left now."'**

"Wait!" Sirius said sounding slightly alarmed "where am I? Or Remus or Peter? " He knew both of them were still alive, because he knew his own animagus form, and Older Remus was sitting next to the two kids that Harry seems to be friend with. "Speaking of which, where is Peter?"

"As you know _Mr. Black_ werewolves are not allowed to have or raise children. As for you…." Umbridge said.

"Were indisposed. You will learn why in the . . . third book I believe, also the reason Mr. Petigrew is not here will disclosed during that book," said Dumbledore cutting her off. He sent her a look that clearly said shut up, and started to read;

** '"You don't mean – you **_**can't**_** mean the people who live **_**here?"**_** cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore – you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son—I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.'**

"Horrible child," everyone female in the hall muttered.

'**Harry Potter came and live here!"'**

"I wish you had listened to her" Harry said to Dumbledore.

Everyone in the hall exchanged scared looks. _Why? What could have happened there?_

'_There he goes with the earning pity. He is just like his father.' _Snape thought bitterly.

** '"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written a letter."'**

"A LETTER!" Lily, Molly, Tonks, Alice, Amelia, and the rest of the females in the hall screeched. (Sans Umbridge who sneered).

Dumbledore continued hastily before he could be yelled at but that didn't stop every female from glaring at him.

**'"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous—a legend'**

"Stupid fame" Harry grumbled but everyone still herd.

_He is just saying that he loves his fame. _Snape and Umbridge thought.

'—**I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future – there will be books written about Harry' **

A couple of people snickered even though the atmosphere was sad. This got people staring at them. Lee looks at the book then at Harry and back again. Everyone understood and started to chuckle.

'—**every child in our world will know his name!"' **

Harry grumbled something that sounded like "unfortunately"

'"**Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

** Professor opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed then said, "Yes—yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" she eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

** "Hagrid's bringing him."**

** "You think it –**_**wise—**_**to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"'**

"No," Umbridge and some of the students said.

"I would trust Hagrid with my life," the DA, Harry, Hermione, all the Weasleys, James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Moony, the teachers including Snape, all the kids from the future, and the Aurors said.

Percy was sitting there thinking about his family. _I miss them. If they would just admit that the Minister is right and leave Potter then we would be okay. I could sit with them. I really do trust Hagrid like I said. Just not Potter. _

Hagrid smiled.

'"**I would trust Hagrid with my life."' Said Dumbledore **

The atmosphere lifting a bit, people let out soft chuckles.

'"**I'm not saying his hart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to – what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky—and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed in the road in front of them.' **

Snuffles perked up at the mention of his bike.

"I want one!" Sirius shouted. Causing his friends to chuckle, and Lily to smack him upside the head.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so **_**wild**_** - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"****Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"****Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."'**

"YES!" Sirius shouted.

"Shut up Siri! I want to know what is going on with my son!" Lilly yelled, glaring at the young animagus.

'**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin'around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep.'**

There was a resounding "ahhhh" from the female population.

"You were such a precious baby," Lupin said from the couch next to Harry's. snuffles barked in agreement.

Harry gave a watery smile. Lupin smiled gently at him happy that he made Harry smile. _He doesn't deserve this life. _Lupin thought sadly.

'**Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning. **

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"'**

Harry perked up.

'**"Even if I could, I wouldn't.'**

Then he frowned and sat back again.

'**Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is aperfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry andgave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.'**

Sirius looked offended but didn't say anything. He wasn't stupid.

Snuffles just huffed making Lupin chuckle.

'**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it.** **"But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"'**

"Thanks Hagrid," Lily, James and Harry said together. They looked at each other and smiled.

'**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found, " Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. **

**He laid Harry gently on the doorstep,'**

"YOU LEFT HIM ON A DOORSTEP!" all of the teachers, guests and older students yelled. Dumbledore shrunk back in his seat and quickly kept reading through the glares.

'**Took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations. "**

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir." **

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night. **

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. **

**Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply. Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. **

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.'**

"Thank you sir," Harry mumbled. Lily looked at her son with sad eyes.

'**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on,'**

Collective "aahhh" from the girls.

'**not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!**

"That's the end of the chapter," Dumbledore said in a hoarse voice from reading aloud.

"Well, that was enlightening," James said as he and his family pulled themselves together.

"Who will read next?" Dumbledore asked the hall.

"I will," Professor McGonagall said, "might as well get it over with."

* * *

**There it is. Hope it was liked. Read and Review. Next update should be in the next week, but life is heck-tick with school. so who knows. But I will finish this.  
**


	3. Chapter 2 The Vanishing Glass

**Here we go, chapter 3. Thanks to all the people who are following me, it gave me a confidence boast.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything in bold is directly from the book. **

**See you at the bottom.**

_BLAH- Thoughts  
_

* * *

A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter Three

The Vanishing Glass

Previously:

"_Well, that was enlightening," James said as he and his family pulled themselves together._

"_Who will read next?" Dumbledore asked the hall._

"_I will," Professor McGonagall said, "might as well get it over with." _

* * *

'**The Vanishing Glass'**

"Oh boy," Harry groaned.

"What?" asked James. "Is it accidental magic?"

"Yes, but I was hoping to not have to deal with the Dursleys," Harry said.

"Harry, their your family," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"By blood maybe, but not by anything else," Harry said in return. Many people exchanged glances at that. Was the Boy-Who-Lived not happy with his family?

"Excuse me, but I would like to finish this chapter before dinner," McGonagall said snappishly, not happy with the chatting.

"Sorry professor," was the mumbled response.

'**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen ****that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets - but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby,'**

"Dudley was that size even as a baby?" asked Harry incredulously, while the most of the hall sat astounded or if they had seen Dudley, laughing on the floor.

'**and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.'**

"No pictures of you?" Lily asked softly. "No pictures to watch you grow?"

"No, they only took photos of Dudley, never me. Plus, I don't like pictures," Harry said with a pointed look at Colin who looked rather sheepish.

"That's not what I meant. You should have had pictures of the biggest moments in your life," James said sadly. Harry stayed silent.

'**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.' **

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. **

**"Up!" she screeched.'**

"Never pleasant to be woken up by Petunia," Lily said with a wince. Both Snapes nodded their heads in agreement, but the only people who saw were the people from the past, future and Harry. _'How does he know that?'_ Harry thought confused.

'**Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.'**

'Not a dream!" yelled Sirius and the Weasley twins. They looked at each other and smiled.

"I know that now you twits!"

'**His aunt was back outside the door. **

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.'**

"Give Dad a chance to get out of bed you harpy!" Jay yelled at the book.

"James Sirius! Watch you language!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Sorry grandma," Jay said not looking sorry at all.

"Well it's true," Lily and Harry said together. They looked at each other and smiled. Then Harry looked at Jay "Thanks."

"No problem Dad," Jay said happily. Harry was still a little freaked out about being called Dad, but he liked the thought.

'**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn,'**

"Burn? They made you cook?" asked Lily angrily.

"Yes" but that was all Harry was going to say knowing it was going to get worse.

'**I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."'**

"Duddy?" Fred asked through his laughter.

"Oh it gets worse. Trust me."

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door. **

**"Nothing, nothing..." **

'**Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.'**

There was silence in the hall so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Then…

"DUMBLEDORE!" was the simultaneous shout throughout the hall. Both Remus' were growling and eyes were amber, Teddy was close to it as well, Sirius was growling like his animagus form with snuffles. The people from the future looked shocked that they hadn't known that bit of info.

Everyone else in the hall (sans Umbridge) were yelling at Dumbledore. (Yes even Fudge and the Slytherins) _'He deserves a lot worse than that!'_ Umbridge thought with a scowl.

Lils had started to cry and ran over to Harry and climbed into his lap. Harry looked a little shocked, but got over it quickly and began to hug her back and comfort her. Jay and Al were looking torn between joining her or yelling at the Headmaster, when Harry beckoned them over they all but ran over there and snuggled into his sides. Lily and James had stood up and were standing next their friends yelling.

Rose and Hugo were sitting next to their parents in shock. Malfoy was sitting there in shock, having thought Potter was spoiled, he was also enraged at the fact a magical child was abused. Many of the other Slytherins were having similar thoughts.

"STOP!" Harry yelled, tired of the noise. "It is over and done, I no longer sleep there, I have bedroom now. It cannot be changed in this timeline."

It was then that the hall noticed Harry had all his children as close to him as they could get. Lily and James exchanged looks before expanding the couch and joining their family. McGonagall began again:

'**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.'**

Charity was heard scratching away at a parchment when everything was listed.

'**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody.'**

"That had better not be you Potter," Malfoy growled. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"What? I may have been a jerk but I'm not heartless" he snapped. Harry looked at him with calculating eyes, he eventually shrugged but didn't say anything.

'**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,'**

Resounding growls were heard around the room. Harry looked around in wonder, _'I didn't think that many people cared. Even the Snakes!' _

'**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.'**

"Lily's eyes," James and, surprisingly, Severus said. Said teens glared at each other while Lily blushed but glared at the two daring them to fight.

'**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning**'

"You liked it?" said Ron incredulously.

"I thought it was cool, till I learned the truth behind it," Harry said dryly.

'**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. **

**"In the car crash when your parents died" she had said.'**

"CAR CRASH!" was heard around the hall.

'**"And don't ask questions."' **

The Ravenclaws and bookworms all whimpered.

'_**Don't ask questions**_** - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. **

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.'**

"Oh, Splendid greating don't you think Forge?" George asked.

"Why, yes I do Grege,"replied Fred.

"Come your hair Harry!" they said together. Everyone groaned.

'**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.'**

"Potter hair," Lilt groaned.

"Potter hair?" Harry and Jay asked.

"Yep" James replied popping the 'p'. "About two centuries ago, a witch cursed our family's hair so that the first born male always had uncontrollable hair."

"Why?"

"Good question. She had a marriage contract denied. Her name was… Martha Nott I believe. She really wanted our money."

"Yes she was the second child of the third son," Nott said. "She would have had nothing unless she married up."

"We didn't marry her because one: she was ugly, and two there was too close a relation at that point. The grandmother at that point was a Nott as well."

"Wow," said Harry. "I now know something about my family other than my parents."

'**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.' **

There was laughter throughout the hall.

"Where is that sense of humor now, Harry?" the twins asked together.

"Somewhere you can't get to it and corrupt it," Harry said dryly. They pouted.

'**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell. **

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."'**

"Thirty-six! And he is complaining?!" Draco shouted outraged. Then at the looks received, "I may have money but I was never spoiled like that."

'**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mommy and Daddy." **

**"All right, thirty-seven then, " said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. **

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another **_**two**_** presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? **_**Two**_** more presents. Is that all right?"'**

"WHO SPOILS THEIR SON THAT BAD?" Mrs. Weasley screeched. Every parent in the hall nodding their heads in agreement.

'**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty... Thirty... "'**

"Merlin! He can't even count?" someone from the other side of the hall asked.

"Still can't."

'**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. **

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." **

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

**"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.'**

"If any of my children had acted that way they would have denomed the garden till their next birthday" Mr. Weasley said crossly.

All his children were nodding in agreement, if there was one thing his father hated it was spoiled brats.

'**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him. "She jerked her head in Harry's direction.'**

"He HAS a NAME you know," Bill said angrily.

'**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.'**

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley started but Lily cut her off.

"While I agree that wasn't nice, you can't blame him can you?" She said slightly annoyed at the older women for scolding _her _son.

'"**Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

"**We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

"**Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

"**What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?"**

"**On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

"**You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

"**And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.'**

"DO IT!" Lupin, Moony, Siri, James, Jay, Al, Lils, Lee, Fred and George yelled.

"Remus! Fred! George!" Mrs. Weasley said aghast.

"Hey! Look who I hung out with as a kid! I may be older but I still like a good prank, or in this case revenge," Lupin said with a carless shrug of his shoulders.

'"**I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.'**

All the fore mentioned people awed.

'"**I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "… and leave him in the car…"'**

"He is not a dog!" Ginny yelled, then blushed.

'"**That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone…"**

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

'"**Dinky Duddydums,'**

Laughter sounded throughout the hall. All the students were laughing at the expensive of a muggle bully. Even the Slytherins had let their masks slip slightly to enjoy the humor. Once they were done though the masks were right back up.

'**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

"**I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.'**

Anyone who knew of Peter's betrayal growled, earning some strange glances from everyone else.

'**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.'**

Here there were many sad glances in his direction. Harry dutifully ignored them while running his hand through Lils hair. Lils smiled when she felt this and relaxed even more onto his lap. Jay and Al had moved to sit with their mother who looked at them in surprise before smiling. Lily and James moved back so they were next to their son, and put their arms around him.

'**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

"**I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.'**

Here there were many glances exchanged _'Could he be telling the truth about You-Know-Who?' _McGonagall winced, remembering later in the book.

'**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.'**

"Curse of the Potter hair son," James said. "It will forever stay this length."

"Damn."

'**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.'**

All the girls in the Hall had looked a little sick at that description.

'**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.'**

"You apparated?" Fudge asked. Everyone jumped having forgot he was there.

"No, I don't know what it was but it wasn't apparition," Harry responded hesitantly. Not knowing how to respond to a man who called him crazy.

"Mr. Potter I would like to speak to privately after this chapter," Fudge said. "Please"

Harry regarded him for a moment then nodded. "Okay Minister."

"Thank you."

'**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects.'**

"Wow, does this man ever Shut Up?" asked a seventh year from Hufflepuff.

"Not often. That's for sure."

'**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"… **roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

"**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."'**

There was a collective, groan of "Harry".

"What? I wasn't actually paying attention, I was thinking about the Zoo."

'**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."'**

"Not a dream," Siri sung off-key.

"I know that now Sirius," Harry said this with a fond smile. Everyone was looking at Harry as if he was crazy, talking to a convicted murderer, well not yet but soon. Fudge looked thoughtful. Umbrige looked furious that the Minister was even CONSIDERING that Potter was innocent, and that Black was free.

Shaklebot and Moody shared a glance behind the Ministers back. '_I think the Minister is pulling his head out of his ass. But Toad Lady needs to be watched.'_

'**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.'**

"There it is again! Harry Potter's sense of humor, a very rare and endangered specimen," George spook as if he was in the jungle near an animal that was easily scared.

"And there are the famed _Weasleyus Twinu. _They normally travel in pairs and are extremely sly, so watch your valuables and dint take anything offered by them," Harry spoke as if giving the tour of a Zoo.

Everyone stared before bursting out laughing. The Marauders looked proud as did the next generation. Fred, George and Lee just sat there and stared before they got sly smiles on their faces.

"Your coming"

"Pranking with us."

"After that"

"There is no way"

"you are getting out of it."

"NO!" All the people who taught or had been around the Marauders and Weasley twins shouted. If the son/godson of the Marauders joined them…they shuddered to think.

Harry looked at them and realizing that he was not getting out of it and that it could be fun agreed.

The staff whimpered.

'**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.'**

"Oh no" people groaned.

'**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

"**Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

"**Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

"**This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.'**

"Potter? Was it really that bad?" Malfoy asked softly.

Harry, and the rest of the hall looked at him in surprise. Harry just shrugged but didn't comment. Malfoy sighed and vowed to talk to him alone.

'**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**It winked.'**

"Um, snakes don't have eyelids," a Ravenclaw said slowly.

'**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.'**

People looked at Harry as if he was crazy. He just shrugged.

"I was 10, this was the first time I had seen an _actual _snake. I thought it was normal."

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

"**I get that all the time."**

"You're a parslemouth?" James asked interestedly. Harry froze, which james saw and quickly added. "I don't care, it is just an interesting gift. As far as I know none of the Potters were ever related to Slytherin."

Harry sagged in relief and nodded.

"I KNEW IT! HE IS DARK!" Umbridge shouted jumping to her feet.

"Dolores sit down!" Fudge snapped. Everyone looked at Fudge in surprise.

"But.."

"No, leave the boy alone." Fudge said with finality. Umbridge sat down but didn't look like she wanted to.

'_If Fudge is rethinking Potter, maybe I Made a huge mistake in turning my back in my family." _Percy thought with a regretful expression on his face. Charlie caught the look and smiled to himself, he knew what was going through his little brother's head.

"**I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"**Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

"**Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"'**

"Shut Up you fat pig!" This came from, surprisingly, Tonks.

'**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"**Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.'**

"What did you do?" Bill asked eagerly. "what? Where do you think Fred and George got it from? Percy?" Bill defended himself from the looks he received.

Everyone sat forward eagerly.

'**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.'**

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Roared Moody. Everyone jumped and stared having forgot he was there. He had a smug grin in his face because he knew it to.

'**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come… Thanksss, amigo."'**

"A nice snake," Hermione said faintly.

'**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

"**But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"'**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers**

**was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"WHY YOU LITTLE…"

"So help me Merlin, Ginervra Molly, if you finish that sentence."

"Sorry Mum," Ginny said not sounding it.

'**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.'**

There were many growls but people realized that yelling about it would do nothing but get on everyone else's nerves.

'**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.'**

"So that's why I can never catch you," Snape said.

Harry just grinned.

'**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.'**

"Green light," Alice whispered. "Holy Merlin, was that?"

"Yes," Harry said softly. Everyone from the past looked at him in awe.

"You shouldn't have to remember that," Dumbledore said softly, and for the first time since school started meet Harry's eyes. Harry tilted his head to know that, while not forgiven, he was working past it.

'**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.'**

Lily sighed sadly and Lils, making up her mind crawled into her lap. Lily looked at her in surprise before smiling and hugging her,

'**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word.'**

Kingsley blushed when Harry looked at him. Kingsley nodded to show that it was him. Harry shook his head but had a bemused smile on his face.

'**The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.'**

"That's the end of that chapter," McGonagall said with a sigh.

"Mr. Potter?" asked the Minister.

"Of Course," Harry responded. "Headmaster, could we use the staffs side room?"

"Of course dear child," Dumbledore responded, and while the two walked over there. "While they have a talk, how about tea and mid-morning snack?"

When he got an enthusiastic response the house-elfs popped into the room to serve them.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. I AM going to give Fudge a backbone and make him a good guy. Be warned now, also I am going to have Malfoy be a good guy. But not so soon.**

**Question: Does anyone want someone else to join the reading? If so put it in the Reviews please. \ **

**Read and Review!**


	4. Meeting with the Minister

**Here we go, okay so I know this is two days in a row. That probably won't happen very often. Thanks to the people who gave suggestions on who to bring. At this point I have had three good ones. I wanted to bring some in now, one for sure will be at the beginning of Chamber of Secrets and another for sure will either be later this book or later in the second. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

* * *

A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 4

Meeting With The Minister

"_That's the end of that chapter," McGonagall said with a sigh._

"_Mr. Potter?" asked the Minister._

"_Of Course," Harry responded. "Headmaster, could we use the staffs side room?"_

"_Of course dear child," Dumbledore responded, and while the two walked over there. "While they have a talk, how about tea and mid-morning snack?" _

_When he got an enthusiastic response the house-elfs popped into the room to serve them._

* * *

"This way Minister," Harry said stiffly, a bit on edge.

"After you Mr. Potter," the Minister for Magic said. He turned when he heard Umbridge call.

"Dear Minister," She said in her high simpering voice. "I do not think you should be alone with the br.. Mr. Potter."

Both Harry and Fudge had caught the slip of tongue, "No, Dolores, I think I will be just fine. Run along and have tea." With that the two men turned back towards the door. Umbrige huffed and stalked off.

* * *

After Harry and Minister Fudge had gotten into the room and warded did the door did they finally speak.

"Mr. Potter, during the last few hours I have had the chance to . . . see a different side of things. I realize now that while you are young in years you are an old soul. With this revelation I have come to realize that you do not enjoy your fame in the slightest. I replayed through all our conversations that we have ever had together or I have had about you, and found that I was very wrong in my opinion of you. I believed that you had made up all the things, your godfathers innocence, your entry in the Tri-wizard tournament , about You-Know-Who's return and about the patronus this past summer. I believed that you said and did those things to grab attention, to get more fame. I was terribly wrong about your character… "

Harry had been silent as the Minister had given his little speech; he had stared at the fidgeting man. When Fudge paused Harry raised an eyebrow in prompt to go on:

"… What I am trying to say is that… while I need to know your story… I am willing to listen… about your godfather and You-Know-Who and everything else… so that I may know the truth and rectify my knowledge and the public's knowledge."

Harry just looked at him for a minute before he finally said "I am willing to accept that."

Minister Fudge sighed in relief.

"However, I will only tell a portion of my story now. You will have to wait for the whole thing with details like everyone else."

"I can handle that arrangement," Fudge said. "Please though, I need to know for my own sanity what I screwed up."

"Alright, let me think a moment," Harry paused before he gave a non-detailed account of what Fudge got wrong. "My godfather is innocent, he was thrown in prison without a trial, or the use of Veriteserum. I did NOT, put my name in the Goblet of Fire, it was a Death Eater. Yes Voldemort is back. He kidnapped me and Cedric from the maze in June. This past summer my cousin and I were attacked by Dementers, the patronus was to ward it off. This is all I will say for now, the details will, more than likely, be in the books. "

"That was all true?" Fudge asked softly. "HE's back?"

"Unfortunately." Here Harry paused. "But at the end of this reading if you are still for believing me then I believe we could work together very well. You are not stupid Minister, I know you're not. You are just caught up with your public image. Do Not let that rule your choices as Minister for Magic. Become the man that ran for Minister all those years ago. The man who didn't give a crap what people thought as long as what was right happened."

With that Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stood up straighter and said "I do believe you are right Mr. Potter. It's time to be the man I was ten years ago."

Fudge held out his hand toward Harry, who took it. There was a flash of light and a letter was sitting on the table next to them. They exchanged looks, Minister Fudge picked it up to read aloud;

_Dear Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge and Harry Potter,_

_ With the agreement the two of you just reached you have already changed the future. You are probably wondering how we know that, we are The Fates. We sent the books to Harry's children and their family so they know more of their family growing up. With the two of you working together, not against each other, and now that Cornelius has regained his confidence, the war is already looking brighter._

_ We also would like to offer you a choice Harry. Your Aunt and Cousin do care for you, but cannot show it due to that whale of a man named Vernon. Harry you may be allowed to bring all three then lock up Vernon. You do not have to do this, it will not affect the war very much if you do or don't. If you do bring them just tap your wand upon this letter and say 'I, Harry James Potter, do call Vernon, Dudley, and Petunia Dursley nee Evans into this reading.' _

_ This will only work for the people we allow. We will send another letter if we believe someone else should join. _

_Sincerely,_

_The Fates_

Harry and Fudge exchanged glances again before he asked, "Are you going to bring them?"

"I don't know, I want to speak with my parents about it," Harry said lost in thought. "Oh, and thank you Minister for giving the benefit of the doubt."

"I have been thinking about it for a while Mr. Potter. Also, please, call me Cornelius. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot of each other."

"Deal, as long as you call me Harry. Mr. Potter makes me feel like I am being scolded. Does this include in the hall or would you prefer Minister?" Harry said with a smile.

"Cornelius is fine unless we are in a formal setting, which this is nowhere near."

"Okay. I do believe we have been gone long enough," Harry said, with a gesture at the door. "Shall we?"

With that the two left the room, back to the great hall.

* * *

"Mum, Dad?" Harry asked quietly after he had made his way over to the Gryffindor area.

"Yes Harry? What did the Minister want?" James asked kindly.

"He wanted to apologize and say he believes me now and wishes to work together."

"That's great!" Lily said happily.

"Can I talk to the two of you alone for a few moments?" Harry asked shyly.

"Of course son." James said. The got up and walked back to the room that Harry and Fudge had just left.

* * *

When they reached the room Harry once again put up the wards and turned around to face his parents.

"While Cornelius and I were in here we received this letter form The Fates, at the end they give me a choice. I really would like your input on it." With that Harry handed the letter to his parents so they could read it. When they had finished;

"The choice is yours but the way this letter is worded makes it sound as if Vernon was abusing Petunia," James said frowned.

"I agree," Lily said. "My sister and I got along really well before she meet that thing she calls a husband."

"I suppose I should call them then," Harry said with a sigh. "But I want the three Aurors in here when they are called. After they arrive I want the Aurors to stun, silence and bind Vernon and take him into the hall where he can wake up on his own, but remain silenced and bound. After of which I wish to talk to Petunia and Dudley alone to ask a few questions and to bring them up to speed."

"I like the sound of that plan. We support you all the way."

With that they returned to the hall.

* * *

When they returned to the hall almost everyone was back to their seats and settled down, ready to read. James and Lily went back over to their couch while Harry went towards Dumbledore and the Aurors. Harry quietly explained what he wanted to happen, the three Aurors agreed at once and Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye as he said he would explain what was too happen to the hall. Harry agreed and led Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody back to the room once more.

"Attention! Mr. Potter has been offered a chance to bring …"

The rest was muffled as Harry closed the door.

* * *

"Everyone ready?" Harry asked the three protectors. They nodded and held up their wands.

Harry took a deep breath and pulled out the letter and placed his wand upon it;

"I, Harry James Potter, do call Vernon, Dudley and Petunia Dursley nee Evans into this reading."

As he finished the summons there was a blinding flash. When it cleared the three Dursleys were standing in the room trying to clear their vision. Petunia was the first to come to her senses, she gasped when she realized her company, she looked fearfully at her husband and shrank away.

Harry had not missed the action but before he could even open his mouth there was an earsplitting yell and three different spells flew towards the source of the below. Vernon had come round and was about to charge his nephew when Tonks threw a stunner, Kingsley a silencing spell, and Moody the body bind. For a moment no one moved, then Harry let a sigh of relief and motioned for the Ausrors to take Vernon into the hall.

As they went about that, Harry approached his Aunt and Cousin who seemed to be frozen in shock.

"Aunt Petunia, Dudley I need you to listen very carefully," Harry said. When the two nodded he began to tell the tale of how they ended up in the time-frozen hall with people from the future and the past. When Harry reached the part about the letter Harry asked "Was what the letter alluded too true? Did Vernon beat you into hating me? Both of you?"

"Yes, Vernon did beat me, but I always managed to keep him from Dudley," Petunia said with tears streaming down her face. "I never wanted to hurt you, or Lily. By the time Vernon showed his true colors, it was too late. I was married and pregnant. I had wanted to rekindle with Lily, and when I told Vernon he….he beat me. I almost lost Dudley because of it. That's why I didn't have any more children, it would have killed me from the damage he had did."

At that point Harry walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, she broke down sobbing apologies into his shoulder. Dudley came over at some point and joined in the hug.

"Aunt Petunia, do you want me to get Lily?" Harry asked softly.

"She is really here?" She asked hesitantly. Seeing Harry's own eyes tear up and nod, she buried her head back into his shoulder and nodded.

Harry sighed and managed to fish his wand out without breaking the hug, he summoned a parchment and wrote on it using his wand, and then vanished it to the hall. Dudley had watched it all with wide eyes.

"Wow," Dudley breathed. Harry smiled at him over Petunia's shoulder.

"That was nothing, you should see some of the other things we can do." Dudley looked really interested and nodded. Just then the door opened;

"Tuney?" Lily's voice called out softly.

"Lily?"

"Ya, Tuney, I'm here," Lily answered. Petunia launched herself at her sister and began crying hard again. She told her sister everything that had happened. By the time she was done everyone was on the floor wrapped around each other crying.

About 15 minutes of sitting there, "I want to know what has happened to you Harry," Petunia said, her voice scratchy from crying.

"Ya, I think it is time we started again, we stopped about an hour ago now," Harry said standing and helping his family, _his family for that is what they were now, _to their feet.

* * *

As they exited the room they found everyone laughing at something. When they turned and looked where some people were pointing they found Vernon upside down, in a clown suit, and hair colored pink, yelling soundlessly at the people below them. Those people were James, Remus, Lupin, Severus, Snape, Sirius, Regulas, Jay, Al, Teddy, Fred, George, Ginny, Lee, Charlie, and Arthur. Mrs. Weasley was yelling at her husband, children, and grandchildren, but was being ignored. All the teachers, sans Toad Lady, were laughing. All the ministry officials were turning a blind eye.

Harry raised his wand and let off a loud BANG! Everyone stopped laughing and turned towards him.

"Okay, at least put him down," Harry said with humor in his eyes. Vernon hit the floor with a THUMP, that shook the floor. "He can stay like that for all I care, now who wants to read?"

"I will," Professor Sprout said, wiping her eyes from laughing so hard she cried. Everyone settled down, Harry back between Lily and James, while Petunia sat on the other side of Lily and Dudley sat on the floor in front of them. Without any further objections Sprout began...

* * *

**There it is! Review please. I am still taking suggestions. I may not use them, but the chance is still there. **

**Sorry about that, I posted it then saw mistakes so I had to fix them. Sorry!  
**


	5. Chapter 3 Letters Form No One

**Okay people sorry about the wait. I have finals next week so I have to focus on those for a while. My updates will be sparadic for a few weeks so bare with me, also I am changing some of the things that I have started in this story I will list them at the bottom, I won't be changing the actual chapters already posted but I will change the direction if the story from here. I will have more details at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: All bold and characters belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. **

* * *

A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 5

Letters From No One

_Harry raised his wand and let off a loud BANG! Everyone stopped laughing and turned towards him._

"_Okay, at least put him down," Harry said with humor in his eyes. Vernon hit the floor with a THUMP, that shook the floor. "He can stay like that for all I care, now who wants to read?"_

"_I will," Professor Sprout said, wiping her eyes from laughing so hard she cried. Everyone settled down, Harry back between Lily and James, while Petunia sat on the other side of Lily and Dudley sat on the floor in front of them. Without any further objections Sprout began;_

* * *

'**Letters From No One'? **Professor Sprout questioned.

"I do believe he is getting his Hogwarts letter, for wizards mail doesn't have a return address, just a seal indicating the family or business it is from, in the muggle world there is a return address with a name," Lily explained at the confused expressions.

'**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays'**

Dudley and Petunia winced and looked down in shame. Vernon looked smug, even through all the jinxes and hexes.

"Dudley, when is your birthday?" Lily asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"May 9, Aunt Lily," Dudley said quietly. "School lets out the 12 of June."

Lily took a deep breath and just nodded, she knew it wasn't her sister's or nephew's fault. Everyone in the hall glared at Vernon. Well the death eater wannabe Slytherins glared at the Muggles in general.

'**had started and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and, first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.'**

"Harry, I really am sorry about that," Dudley said sadly. "I really was a brat then. But after you came back from here that first time it was only an act to fool dad. Mum had talked to me before you got home and I did some growing up."

"Dudley, I forgave you when I saw the look on your face when I conjured that paper. I could tell that you really were interested in magic," Harry said with a smile at his cousin. He slide off the couch and joined Dudley on the ground.

'**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings. Piers Polkiss was going there too. Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.'**

Dudley grimaced and sent an apologetic look at his cousin. Harry just waved it off as if to say "it is in the past so leave it there."

'"**They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"**No, thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it — it might be sick." Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.'**

The hall was roaring with laughter, even Dudley and Petunia were laughing.

"I really was stupid, wasn't I?" Dudley asked through his laughter.

''Ya, sorry D," Harry said back.

"Harry, Brother,"

"There is no way"

"That you are getting"

"Out of pranking with us now" Fred and George said in their confusing way. Harry grinned and winked. The Marauders, and his children all cheered while the teachers groaned.

'**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual. It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.'**

All three Lupins in the room whimpered at the mention of the bad chocolate, earning laughs from those who knew of their chocolate addiction.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings' boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters.'**

Everyone in the hall looked sick at the description of the uniforms.

"They really are atrocious. I really do not like them at all," Dudley said with a grimace.

"Well good, because you are not going back to that horrid school," Petunia said with a glare at her husband.

'**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.'**

"How the hell is that training for later in life?" asked Malfoy without his usual sneer. He looked genuinely shocked.

"I really have no idea," Dudley said confused.

"Well, we are not that much better, you give us wands and require us to read 100 curses and jinxes before third year," Harry said dryly. All the students just grinned.

'**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.'**

No one had any restraints this time.

'**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.**

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.'**

All of the Ravenclaws whimpered.

"Actually, I was just upset that you were not going to Hogwarts," Petunia said to Harry. He turned and smiled at her.

"He really is very forgiving," McGonagall said to Snape who looked thoughtful. _I really need to watch him more carefully. _

'"**Your new school uniform," she said.'**

Anyone with a fashion sense looked ready to hurl.

"It wasn't as bad as Dudley's," Harry says. A lot of people accepted that but still felt sick.

'**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

"**Oh," he said, "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."'**

"Harry, mate," Ron said incredulously. "Where the bloody hell, have you been hiding the humor?"

"RONALD WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" Mrs. Weasley screeched. Everyone in the hall winced and rubbed their ears. Harry just smirks at him.

"That is one Slytherin smirk there Ha..Potter," Malfoy says with mirth in his voice. Harry just turns that smirk to him and winks. All the teachers look back and forth trying to decide if they were hallucinating.

'"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."**

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High — like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.**

"**Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.'**

"So whale one is not making Harry get it? That won't go over well." Severus says, the hall jumps having forgotten he was there, Moody having seen this yells, "CONSTANT VIGILLANCE".

The only people who didn't jump were Harry and the Aurors, Moody turned to Kingsley and nodded at a smirking Potter. Kingsley nods, _He hasn't jumped when most people did because of a forgotten person. He will be a good Auror in that regard. _

'"**Make Harry get it."**

"**Get the mail, Harry."**

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke him with your Smelting stick, Dudley."'**

There were several flashes of different colors aimed at Vernon who had been glaring at his nephew. When the light died down he was now in a dress and had boils and a sign that read '_I'M A JERK'._

'**Harry dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and — a letter for Harry.**

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him.'**

There was an instant uproar at this. People were shouting things like;

"That isn't possible, I sent him flowers every Halloween!"

"I sent him letters growing up" it goes on and on. Harry looked shocked at this, he didn't think people send him things when they didn't know him.

Dumbledore blew crackers from his wand and everyone quieted. "I diverted all his fan mail to a separate vault in Gringotts." This was apparently not the wise thing to say as he got glared at by everyone in the hall.

"I would like the key to that vault," Harry said with no emotion.

"I don't think you need to deal with all of that Harry…"

"I don't care what you think, I should have been given that key as soon as I stepped into this school when I was 11. That was not your choice".

'**Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives — he didn't belong to the library, so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

_**Mr. H. Potter**_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs**_

_**4 Privet Drive**_

_**Little Whinging**_

_**Surrey'**_

Everyone cheered.

_Brat doesn't deserve to go to this school. _Unbridge thought with a sneer.

'**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion,'**

"Gryffindor!" from all past and present lions.

'**an eagle,'**

"Ravenclaw!" was heard from all ravens.

'**a badger,'**

"Hufflepuff!" was from the badgers.

'**and a snake'**

"Slytherin!" all the snakes had decided to just let their masks stay down and smiled.

'**surrounding a large letter H.'**

"Hogwarts!" resounded around the hall.

'"**Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.'**

All those of prankster heritage passed out from the bad joke, Harry included. It took several minutes and lots of _enervrates_ later before they could continue.

'**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down, and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.'**

"No! Harry you idiot!" Ginny yells. "Open it when you are alone!"

"Well," Al drawled. "At least some things don't change."

"I was 10! I didn't know!"

The others nod in agreement as they watch their parents/aunt&uncle go back and forth.

'**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.**

"**Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"'**

"Tattle tale!" Fred yelled at the book, then winked at a downcast Dudley. Dudley looked shocked but smiled hesitantly back.

'**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

"**That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.'**

"Oh, no," Ron groans. People look at him funny.

'"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish white of old porridge.' **

Many people wrinkled their noses.

'"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.'**

"My dear sister that really was very dramatic," Lily giggled.

"Oh Lily, you wound me!" Petunia clutched her chest. They both burst into a fit of giggles.

'"**Vernon! Oh my goodness — Vernon!"**

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.'**

"I would have been so grounded," Malfoy said shock.

'"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

"**I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."'**

Ron and Hermione traded glances and said "not good."

The future kids catching on to what was being alluded to "defiantly not good."

Everyone looked really confused.

'"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.'**

"Here we go," Ron, Hermione, Lils, Jay, Teddy, Al, Rose, and Hugo said and covered their ears.

'"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.'**

"And there you have it ladies and gentlemen," Al said as if announcing a baseball game. "The famous Potter temper."

Harry looked indignant. "I am NOT that bad."

"Yes you are." Said all the afore mentioned people and Fred and George having heard his explosion this past summer.

Harry just pouted.

'"**Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor.'**

"That is the better place anyways," Regulas said.

'"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address — how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"'**

"Not at that point no," Harry huffed. All the order members present blushed.

'"**Watching — spying — might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.'**

"Why would we do that?" Fudge asked. "We believed he was being taken care of." He threw a glare at Dumbledore.

'"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want —"**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we won't do anything…"'**

"That won't work," McGonagall said irritated. "I will send more letters till I get a response."

'"**But —"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"'**

The hall went deathly quiet, Harry wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. No one said anything knowing that if he was abused he wouldn't react well to questioning in front of so many people.

'**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

"**Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."'**

"What!" was heard around the hall. In the magical world the acceptance letter was cherished as it proved usable magic and lineage.

"**It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had my cupboard on it."**

"**SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.'**

"Probably was," Petunia said mater-of-factly. "He hasn't really smiled since our wedding day. Even then it was really just a grin."

'"**Er — yes, Harry — about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking… you're really getting a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

"**Why?" said Harry.**

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month-old video camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over the next door neighbor's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.'**

By the end of that there was a lot of growls around the room. Dudley looked really down trodden at the reminder of his younger self. Harry just squeezed his shoulder.

'**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't want him in there… I need that room… make him get out…"'**

No one even knew how to respond to that, they just sat there with their mouths open.

'**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof, and he still didn't have his room back. Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive —'"**

"If you wanted to read it don't announce it's arrival!" George sighed. "So much to teach, so little time.."

All the adults looked frightened at _another _one being trained. Petunia looked confused when Dudley smirked after Harry whispered in his ear. Lily leaned over and took pity on her sister and explained what George meant. She didn't know whether to be happy or scared.

'**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.'**

"Damn," was heard around the hall.

"**Go to your cupboard — I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley — go — just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.'**

"That won't go well then," Ron said simply. When everyone looked confused, ignoring Harry's indignant "Hey!" he explained;

"While Harry is a quick thinker when in trouble, his plans normally crash and burn about 5 minutes in."

'**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall toward the front door —**

"**AAAAARRRGH!"'**

"Told you so," Ron sang.

'**Harry leapt into the air; he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat — something alive!**

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realized that the big, squashy something had been his uncle's face.' **

Laughter was heard from around the hall. Vernon's face was horrid purple color.

'**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time he got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.'**

"Green ink?" James asked. "What is with you and green Mini?"

"Don't call me Mini!"

'"**I want —" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.**

"**See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up."**

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."'**

"Listen to her to tub of lard!"

'"**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.'**

"He has gone nutters," called a fourth year Hufflepuff.

'**On Friday, no less than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the mail slot they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises.'**

"Dad went insane," Dudley said simply with Harry and Petunia nodding along.

'**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.'**

"Wow, you really wanted me to get that letter," Harry said in wonder. "I didn't realize it was that bad."

'"**Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.'**

"ME!" ¾ of the hall shouted. Harry blushed. Ginny looked at him with star's in her eyes. Lils, Jay, Al and Teddy exchanged looks.

'**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

"**No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today —"**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one —**

"**Out! OUT!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.'**

"Hey! Leave him alone you great whale!" came surprisingly from Malfoy. Harry looked at him with a calculating look. Malfoy just gazed back unfazed.

'**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

"**That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his mustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag.'**

"Wow, I really was stupid," Dudley muttered.

'**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

"**Shake 'em off… shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programs he'd wanted to see, and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…'**

"About what Harry?" Ginny asked fluttering her eye lashes. Harry looked at her funny.

"That was 5 years ago, I don't remember," Harry said slowly. Al, Lils and Jay all shook their heads. This time Lupin and Snuffles noticed and raised eyebrows.

'**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

"'**Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

_**Mr. H. Potter**_

_**Room 17**_

_**Railview Hotel**_

_**Cokeworth**_

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.'**

"Don't just stare! Do something!" Tonks yelled, her hair spiky and red with her mood.

'"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.**

"**Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car, and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multilevel parking garage.**

"**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.'**

"He went mad long before that," Petunia said with a grimace.

' **Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.**

"**It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday — and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days the week, because of television — then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

"Happy Birthday Dad!" Shouted Lils, Al and Jay. Harry just looked at them with a deadpan look and said:

"That was 5 years ago, and your talking to a book."

The three of them just grinned and shrugged.

'**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun — last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. Still, you weren't eleven every day.'**

"No, your eleven for 365 days," Remus said seriously. A lot of people looked at him and laughed trying to picture as their old teacher sitting a few seats away ginning.

'**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.'**

"Had I known what it was I would have taken it and thrown it in the ocean," Petunia grumbled.

"Why?" Lily asked.

"You'll see."

Lily huffed.

'"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain, there was no television in there.**

"**Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.'**

"I would have run in the opposite direction," Zabini said from his place next to Malfoy, who was nodding in agreement.

'"**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"'**

"Rations my ass," Harry mumbled.

"Language Harry," Hermione chided. Harry just grinned at her. Hermione shook her head with a fond smile. Lily watched the exchange with sad eyes but a fond smile, glad her son found a sister in Hermione.

'**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.'**

Madam Pomphery was heard muttering about getting sick.

'**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls, and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips each and four bananas.'**

"Those aren't rations!" All the male Weasleys yelled scandalized, the women just shook their heads.

'**He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.**

"**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully.'**

"Bastard," was mumbled around the hall.

"Ten points from each person who cursed," Umbridge said sweetly.

"Not happening, no points can be given or taken during the reading, the same with detentions." Teddy said from his place between his parents.

'**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail. Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.'**

"Same here mate," Ron said.

'**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.'**

Poppy's mumbling got slightly louder. Harry looked ready to bolt if she brought up and examination.

'**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.'**

"That's it Potter, you're getting an examination!"

"NO!"

"You will go when this book is over Harry James Potter!"

"Yes mum."

Sinkers were heard around the hall as Harry sulked.

"Madam at least wait till the book is over," Lily implored, wanting her son to get checked but not wanting to make him have it now.

"Fine! But as soon as it is over."

'**Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.'**

"Pacing my office worried about you and why you haven't responded," McGonagall said with a kind smile at Harry. Harry smiled at his head of house.

'**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did.**

"Always the optimist aren't you Harry," Charlie grinned. Harry just stuck his tongue out at him.

'**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that?'**

"What is it?" a first year Hufflepuff asked scared.

"The best birthday present ever," Harry said with a smile.

Hagrid smiled from his place at the head table.

'**And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?'**

"Seriously, what is it?" asked a Ravenclaw.

Harry just winked at her. She blushed. Ginny glared at Harry.

'**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds… twenty… ten… nine — maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him'**

"Do it!" Fred, George, and Lee yelled.

'— **three… two… one…**

**BOOM.'**

Screams were heard around the hall at the head of Hufflepuffs shout.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.'**

"Who is it?!" was screamed around the hall.

"You'll see next chapter!" Harry said.

"Who will read next?" Professor Sprout asked the hall.

"I will. . . "

* * *

**Sorry don't get to know who till the next chapter. Anyway some of you may have picked up on some hints I was laying out. I am turning this into a anti Ginny and Dumbles story, sorry, I just can't write them in a good light. But if you have suggestions on a way to lay it out then I am all ears. Some of you are probably wondering about Jay, Lily and Al. I already know a way to keep them as Harry's kids, even if doesn't end up with Ginny. Any who, can anyone Guess who I will pair him with?**

**Read an Review!**


	6. Chapter 4 The Keeper Of The Keys

**Sorry I posted this chapter with out its authors note, Oops O_o. Anyway so after reading the reviews from last chapter and my little change up I have decided to change my previous statement I will not change the paring that will stay Ginny (against my better judgement) but this WILL be Dumbledore bashing. He is way to manipulative. :-( **

**Also, I can not seem to write Hagrid's way of speaking out side of the established text, but I will do my best.**

**IMPORTANT AN AT BOTTOM!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Rowling so I do not own anything...**

**On with the story...**

* * *

A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 6

The Keeper Of The Keys

"_Who is it?!" was screamed around the hall._

"_You'll see next chapter!" Harry said._

"_Who will read next?" Professor Sprout asked the hall._

"_I will. . . "_

* * *

. . . Professor Snape said with a sigh. "Might as well get it over with."

"Good Luck Sir!" Harry called from the floor.

"And why, pray tell would I need luck?" the man sneered.

"Because if I remember correctly, which I normally do in these cases, you will not like having to read one of the people involved in this chapter."

"Oh well let's see, **The Keeper of the Keys"** Professor Snape began. "WHAT! I have to talk like him?"

"Yep!" Harrys said popping the 'p'.

"Brat," Though it was said with no real bite. **"BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

"**Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.'**

Everyone who knew what a rifle was, shouted out in disbelief.

"Don't worry it gets taken care of soon," Dudley said with a grimace.

'"**Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"'**

"So are we!" the twins yell confused.

All the muggleborn and some of the half-bloods laughed at their accidental joke. Hermione took pity in them and explained, for the twins benefit and that of those around the hall who were confused.

"When muggles say they are armed it means they are carrying a weapon, the rifle is a weapon, that if used correctly could be just as deadly the Killing Curse, or just as painful as the Cruciatus."

Many of the people in the hall that did not know muggles had that much power looked a little sacred at that kind of weapon. While Umbridge thought, _She is lying, muggles don't have that kind of power, they are barley better then apes. _

'**There was a pause. Then —**

**SMASH!'**

Everyone jumped no one realized that the normally monotone professor could yell like that, he didn't even yell like that when made at students. Said professor smirked before continuing.

'**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.'**

"Hagrid!" all of the D.A. shouted. Said half-giant smiled at them and blushed. _Filthy half-breed,_ Umbridge thought with a mental sneer.

'**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.'**

'"**Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"**

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

"**Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.'**

"Vernon's bulk was enough to hide them both," Harry said with a snicker.

'"**An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

"**Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."'**

"That was the first time I heard that," Harry said to Hagrid.

"I don't think he really does," said Severus, who was looking back and forth between his enemy and his enemy's son. "It is really just the hair and the height."

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

"What? Of course he looks like James!" Dumbledore said quickly from his seat.

"No, I'm…he's right," Professor said slowly. "Change his hair color and take away the glasses he looks more like Lilly, but why does it matter?" The last one was directed at the Headmaster.

"No reason," Dumbledore said.

"Do I really?" Harry asked his mother.

"Yes, I can see what both of Severus were getting at, it is really just the hair, and you even have my cheek bones," Lilly said after she had sat on the floor next to her son to take a closer look.

'**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

"**I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!" **

"**Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.'**

A great cheer went around the hall.

'**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.'**

"Not even Hagrid could step on him, he is too big," Cho said flirtatiously from the Ravenclaw table.

Harry just nodded, he didn't even look in her direction. He was occupied truing to straighten out the thoughts in his head. _Why are Malfoy and Snape being nice? Have they finally realized that I am not some spoiled little brat. _

'"**Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.'**

"It did taste good," Harry said looking at Hagrid. "I was able to nab a piece when no one was looking."

"Tha makes sense then Arry." Hagrid said.

'**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"'**

"Harry!" Lily scolded. Harry blushed and smiled sheepishly.

'**The giant chuckled.**

"**True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

"**What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."'**

"Hagrid!" McGonagall scolded. "Do not drink around children."

"I me'nt coffee," Hagrid said quickly. "It was fairly cold outside."

McGonagall looked at him, and he smiled sheepishly.

'**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.'**

"You're not supposed to perform magic!" Umbridge screeched. "You were expelled and you're wand snapped!"

"He didn't do what he was accused of," Harry said through gritted teeth. "He was expelled for something that was no his doing."

"LIES!"

"He is telling the truth!" Ron shouted standing up. "I have seen what caused him to be framed, at that point in time I doubt it would have been able to get out of his room, let alone all the way to the bathroom on a different floor."

"Ronald sit down," his mother snapped.

"No I will not," Ron said defiantly. "I am sick and tired of her picking on not only Harry, but anyone who doesn't fit in her perfect pureblooded world."

There were shouts of agreement from all over the hall.

"Dolores, what are they talking about?" Cornelius asked lowly.

"I have no idea," Umbridge said nervously.

"You and I will be having a LONG discussion," he said. "Sit down, and shut up. I do not want to hear another word from your mouth."

A cheer went up around the room and Harry smiled up at the Minister who smiled back. _NO! This is not how my plans are supposed to go! _Dumbledore thought angrily.

"If you all would shut up and let me read I am sure a lot of these disagreements will eventually be answered," Professor Snape sneered. All the students looked at each other sheepishly and the Minister just smiled. The professor let out a small sigh and continued.

'**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

"**Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."**

**He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

"**Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.**

"**Er — no," said Harry.'**

"Tha gave me a righ shock," Hagrid said.

"Would have shocked any of us," Sisntra said with a frown at the reminder of Harry's treatment.

'**Hagrid looked shocked.**

"**Sorry," Harry said quickly.'**

"It wasn't your fault Harry," Petunia said sadly. "It was mine for not standing up to my lump of a husband."

'"**Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

"**All what?" asked Harry.'**

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said sadly.

Lils went back over to her father and sat right next to him again with her head on his shoulder. His arm automaticly went around her waist to keep her in place. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head, then looked a bit shocked at his own actions.

Teddy raised an eyebrow at his god brothers who started to whisper back and forth.

'"**ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

"**Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"'**

"OH, Harry won't like that," Ginny said with a snicker. At the raised eyebrows she explained, "He may not be as smart as Hermione, but he is smart, and he doesn't like people assuming he isn't."

"It is true," McGonagall said. "Harry is the fifth in his class, it is Miss. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zambini, Miss. Bones, then Mr. Potter."

"Really?" Harry asked shocked.

"You didn't know that?" She asked. At the shake of the head she received she went on. "You should receive a letter each summer with your standing in the year. It only tells you, your own number."

"I never got any of those," He said lowly. He turned accusing eyes on the headmaster, who ignored him.

'**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

"**I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."**

"**What world?"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

"**DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.**

"**But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."'**

"I really wish I wasn't," Harry grumbled.

"Well that never changes," Jay said with a grin. "The amount of times you have come home grumbling and cursing because of reporters and fans is innumerable."

"**What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

"**Yeh don' know… yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

"**Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

"**Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

"**You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

"**Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"**Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry — yer a wizard."**

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

"**I'm a what?" gasped Harry.'**

"Your not just a wizard Harry," Hermione said with eyes on him. "You are a friend, and a leader."

"She's right Harry," Neville said from next to Frank having seen the skeptical look. "You are a leader, if there was anyone who I would follow not that V-Voldemort is back, it would be you."

All of the DA, and most of the other students, nod their heads in agreement to Neville's statement.

"I really do not know what to say," Harry said quietly. "I am not a leader."

All the DA just look at him with an 'Oh Really?' sort of look. He turns away refusing to believe it.

'"**A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."**

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall,**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"'**

The hall burst out laughing.

"What?" Harry asked bewildered. "What did I say?"

"Oh, Harry," Lupin says while chuckling. "That was the first question you asked?"

"It was the last thing I read!" Harry says defensively. "My brain was also on slow trying to process all the information that I had been given."

Everyone just keeps chuckling. Snuffles puts his head in Harry's lap but keeps doing his huff like laugh. Harry shakes his head and pets Snuffles, Lils reaches out and pets him as well. He turns his head and looks at her; she winks at him and keeps petting him. _She knows who I am! That also means the others do as well! Maybe this won't be so bad." _Sirius thought with a mental smile.

'"**Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl'**

"Poor owl," Luna says in her dreamy voice, from over at the Ravenclaw table. Most of the Ravenclaws jump having forgot she was there.

' — **a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:'**

"You can read his handwriting upside down?" McGonagall says incredulously. "I can barely read it right side up."

"It wasn't that hard to read, and he mumbled it as he wrote it," Harry said with a shrug. "I just read along as he spoke and wrote it."

'_**Dear Professor Dumbledore,**_

_**Given Harry his letter.**_

_**Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**_

_**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**_

_**Hagrid'**_

"Simple as ever," Charlie laughed.

"How do you know Charlie?" Ron asked.

"Hagrid and I have been in contact ever since I left school," Charlie said. "We trade information on Magical Creatures. He is the only other person I have meet that has a love for them like I do. He is also very simple in his greetings, he will write at length about any creature, but his small talk skills just are not there."

'**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.'**

"You do that whenever you see something that amazes you Harry," Hermione said with a giggle. "You still do."

"I do not!"

"Actually, you do Harry," this came surprisingly from Mr. Weasley.

"Mr. Weasley!"

"Well it is true, when we went to your hearing all you could do was gape at the underground atrium," Mr. Weasley said sheepishly. "Anyway, call me Arthur. You are like another son to this family and Mr. Weasley is to formal."

"Alright Arthur," Harry agreed, but then in a more whinny tone he said. "Why did no one tell me?"

"Because it is cute and amusing to see you with that much childlike innocence that you do not get to show very often."

Harry huffed but let it go.

'"**Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

"**He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted.**

"**I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

"**A what?" said Harry, interested.**

"**A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

"**We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"'**

"Harry, did he ever hit you?" James asked fingering his wand and glaring at the tied up man.

"No, Dad, just a cuff or two on the back of the head," Harry said trying calm his father.

"I would never let him hit Harry," Petunia said. "I stopped him before it went that far."

"**You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a — a wizard?"**

"**Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

"As they should have" Petunia finished. "I was a jelous little harpy and I know it."

"I missed you Tunny," Lily said with a smile. "I got my sister back."

"Just promise me when you back to your time that you get me and my son away from that disgusting man," Petunia begged.

"I will, don't you worry," Lily said darkly. "Severus, would you like to help?"

"I would be delighted," Severus said with a smile.

'**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.'**

"Actually that wasn't what I Wanted to say," Petunia said. "But it kept my husband happy."

'"**Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —abnormal — and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"'**

"That wasn't how I wanted you to find out," Petunia squeaked. "It slipped out before I could stop it."

"It's okay Aunt Petunia, I needed to know," Harry said as he laid his head on her knee and adjusted Lils so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. He didn't realize he did it, when he did he looked confused. Jay and Al looked a little unsure.

'"**CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

"**But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

"**I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."'**

"That would have been a right terror," Harry said. "I wouldn't have understood the staring and the pointing and the whispering."

"While slightly amusing, I think someone would have eventually sat you down and told you," Malfoy said from the other side of the Hall. Many heads nodded in agreement.

'**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

"**Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**

"**Who?"**

"**Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

"**Why not?"**

"**Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"'**

"He won't say it," sang Charlie. "I have been trying for years to get him to say it."

Harry just quirked an eyebrow and nodded at the book.

'**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.'**

Charlie looked slightly smug. Harry just smirked.

'"**Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

"**Nah — can't spell it. All right —Voldemort. "'**

"Yo…you got him to say it!" Charlie said in awe.

"Course I said it fer him," Hagrid boomed. "He needed to know the name."

' **Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.'**

A shudder of fear and dread went through all those present who did not follow that maniac. The kids from the future all exchanged looks. They did not go unnoticed. _So he will eventually try and take the school, hopefully these books will explain and we can stop it. _Professor Snape thought grimly as he continued to read.

"**Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.**

"**Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"'**

There was a moment of silence for them even if they were sitting in the hall with them.

'**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

"**Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…'**

"Thanks Hagrid, that means a lot," Lily said from where she had curled up next to James.

"Every word is true," Hagrid said with a watery sniff.

'"**You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons,'**

There was a moment of silence only broken by the occasional sniff.

'**the Bones,'**

Susan and her Aunt bow their heads in honor of their lost family, the normally composed head of the DML had tears running down her face as she got up and sat next to her niece at the Hufflepuff group of students.

'**the Prewetts'**

All the Weasleys bow their heads as Mrs. Weasley cries for her lost brothers. Harry gets up from hiss spot on the floor, joined by his children and his niece and nephew, goes and hugs Mrs. Weasley who cries even harder as she hugs them all back.

Lily and James exchange a glance that says volumes. 'Even if we could not have been there at least he has a family in the Weasleys'.

'— **an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."'**

"Ya, I have wondered about that," Harry says directed at the headmaster. "How could I have survived? and don't give me that love shit, I have looked it up and, while yes there is a branch of magic based off of love. it is not strong enough to stop the killing curse."

"I do not have an answer for you," Dumbledore says not meeting his eyes. "I have looked into it in detail but I have found nothing."

_He knows something, he just isn't telling anyone. _Lupin thought grimily. _I hope that it doesn't get anyone killed. The wolf has been aggressive towards him ever since he let me leave at the end of Harry's third year. I wonder if I should start to listen to Moony's instincts. _

'**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.'**

A collective shiver ran through the hall.

"Ya, hearing it in person isn't to great either," Harry grumbled.

"IN PEROSN?" Petunia screeched.

"You mean you didn't know?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "You never received a letter informing you of what happens here?"

"NO!"

"You get letters sent home?" Harry questioned.

"Ya, all students do," Hermione said slowly.

"I have never received any, from any teacher." Petunia said with a glare at the head table.

"But…but…" McGonagall spluttered. "I have sent one at the end of each month, and others depending on what is going on with Mr. Potter. Like every time he has been in the Hospital wing."

"Well, I never got them," Petunia snarked. She then turned an accusing look at the headmaster.

"Wait, so you don't know what has been happening here at Hogwarts with your nephew?" Professor Flitwick squeaks.

"No?"

"Oh no," Harry groaned. "Do calming droughts work on muggles Professor Snape?"

"Yes they do Mr. Potter," the Potions Master replied calmly. "But I do not have any here."

There was a blinding flash and on the table in front of Snape was a box full of all kinds of potions and a note.

_Every time you remove a potion it is magically replaces so that you cannot run out. You should be able to tell them apart potions master._

_Fates_

"Never mind then," Professor Snape says surprised.

"I shall look into why you have not received the letters when this reading is finished," McGonagall says with her best no nonsense voice. "Even if I have to start delivering them myself then I will."

'**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

"**Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot… ."**

"**Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

"**Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured'**

"He never hit me!" Harry said loudly when Madam Pomphery started to get up.

'— **and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —"**

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"'**

"Yay Hagrid!" Lils shouted from her place in her father's side. Harry had returned to his seat in front of his parents with his daughter still tucked into his side and his two sons were now there too. Jay sat on Harry's other side with his head in Harry's lap, and Al was on the other side of Dudley who looked like he didn't know what to do. So when Al leaned on him he froze then slowly leaned back into his mother's legs with Al leaned into him, and wrapped an arm around him to keep him still.

'**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

"**That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

"**But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"'**

"You said You-Know-Who!" Shouted practically every Gryffindor.

"I was trying not to freak him out since I just met him," Harry said. "You saw how long that lasted."

'"**Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?"'**

"That's because he isn't dead," Harry grouched. "I mean really, when have I ever lied? So why does everyone suddenly think I was lying."

The occupants of the hall who hadn't believed him shifted awkwardly in their seats.

'"**Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back."**

"An I was proven wrong," Hagrid said.

'"**Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?'**

"It doesn't work like that Harry," Hermione said with a giggle.

"actually, I think he should have been able to do more than he did," Petunia said slowly. "There were very few instances of accidental magic when he was young. I remember when Lily was little, something happened almost every day! From what I have been able to gather Harry should be even more powerful than her."

"That is very strange indeed Petunia," Professor Snape said with a frown. "He should have had more mishaps."

"Well hopefully when we do your scan something will turn up," the school's nurse said.

"Maybe we should do it before bed tonight instead of after the book is over?" Lily asked Harry.

He didn't look happy about it but nodded his head in agreement.

'"**Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

"**Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry… chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach… dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back… and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

"**See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."'**

Harry snorted. When he got questioning looks he explained. "How many of you, the first time you saw me stopped and stared? How many of you gossiped about me behind my back? How many of you, during the whole thing with the chamber thought I was the heir and shunned me? How many of you believed skeeters lies last year and over the summer?"

Everyone in the hall shifted in their seats as they remembered their past behavior. The people from the past exchanged looks, _Is it really that bad?_

"Chamber? Heir?" Frank questioned. Speaking for the first time in a while.

"You'll see in the second book Mr. Longbottom," Harry said quickly, cutting Neville off before he could give anything away.

"Call me Frank, I think we will be getting to know one another real quick," Frank said. Harry nodded his head.

'**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

"**Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —"**

"**If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled—"**

"**I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.'**

"OH, now he's done it," Tonks sang. "Hagrid is really dedicated to the Headmaster. The only person who I think is higher in his life is Harry."

Hagrid blushed, but nodded at the end of that statement.

'**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"**

**He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.'**

Laughter rang throughout the hall.

"Sorry bout tha Dudley," Hagrid said sheepishly.

"No harm done." Dudley smiled at the half-giant. "It disappeared about the day Harry left for Hogwarts."

'**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

"**Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."'**

The hall was filled with laughter once again. Dudley looked a bit embarrassed about how used to be.

"Well, I am not going to argue with that," he said. "I was a right pig."

The hall laughed even harder and a lot nodded their heads in agreement. After a few moments Professor Snape was able to continue;

'**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

"**Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**

"**Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

"**Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

"**Why were you expelled?"'**

"He won't tell you," the marauders, Severus, Regulas, and all the Weasley boys (minus Ron) said in unison.

"Oh really?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione said together.

"YOU KNOW?" they yelled in unison. "What is it?"

"Spoilers sweetie,"***** Hermione said. Her and a lot of the muggle raised students, Dudley and Petunia, shared a laugh. Many people were confused, but no one elaborated.

'"**It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."'**

"Very subtle," Kingsley drawled with a raised eyebrow looking amused.

Hagrid blushed.

'**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

"**You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets." **And that is the end of the chapter," Professor Snape said with a relieved sigh. "Who shall read next?"

"I will," Madam Hooch said.

"Before we begin this chapter I think we should have dinner after this chapter, then two more chapters before bed, or in Harry's case a medical evaluation then bed," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

Many heads nodded in agreement and some people voiced their agreements as well.

"Alright the next chapter is…"

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**Alright there is that chapter...Updates WILL be random...I will work whenever I can but my grandparents love to drag me away from my computer. **

***Doctor Who reference; River Song. I will probably due more of those. Not sure yet. **

**IMPORTANT: I NEED an answer to this, Who thinks I should redeem the elder Malfoys? and bring them into the reading? Also, should Harry have been physically abused when his Aunt was not around? **

**Read and Review, you can PM answers to those questions or just put them in the reviews. **


	7. Chapter 5 Diagon Alley

**Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but life is hectic in the summer. Updates will hopefully get more consistent after school starts but maybe not because I play varsity volleyball and practice everyday.  
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**xXDark-Rose-MariaXx- Thank you! I have seen a lot of these stories but it was always only one of generations or maybe one or two people with a different generation so I thought why not all three? I;m happy you like it. **

**horselovr171- Thank you for you suggestions, I'm not getting as many as I would like. I will take it into account but I won't give anything away regarding what I will do with them.**

**Sor-Rin- Thank You for your support and suggestions, like I said above I won't give anything away. But to what you said about child abuse, I really hate child abuse and even if I put it in this, or any, story I would not be overly descriptive or violent. I don't think I have it in me to write it.**

** FudgeIceCream- I am defiantly going to redeem Draco but I am not telling about his parents for now. **

**Whity crazy Rabbit- Thanks for the advice. Even if I do make Harry abused it won't be heavily and he won't be a Gary-Sue. **

**Brebre96- I know I said that the kids were Harry and Ginny's but I Really do not like that parring so I have an idea for that do not worry. ;-)**

**SILVERDEAF1977- Thank you SO much for the positive review. **

**ladyivory01- Thank you for the idea about the portraits! I am defiantly going to use it!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. :-(**

**Here we go...**

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A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 7

Diagon Alley

Previously 

"_**You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets." **__And that is the end of the chapter," Professor Snape said with a relieved sigh. "Who shall read next?"_

"_I will," Madam Hooch said. _

"_Before we begin this chapter I think we should have dinner after this chapter, then two more chapters before bed, or in Harry's case a medical evaluation then bed," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye._

_Many heads nodded in agreement and some people voiced their agreements as well. _

"_Alright the next chapter is…"_

* * *

"…**Diagon Alley," **Madam Hooch begins.

"Yes, back to magic," James said. A lot of people were lost in their own thoughts on their first trips to the magical alley.

'**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

_**It was a dream**_**, he told himself firmly**_**. I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.'**_

"Wow, pessimistic much?" Draco asked. Harry just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"That really hasn't changed much," Hermione sighed.

'**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

_**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door**_**, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.'**

There were many snorts around the hall.

'**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

"**All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

"**Don't do that."**

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.'**

"Those things can get really nasty," James said rubbing his hand absently. Many other people in the hall seemed to be doing it as well.

"**Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl —"**

"**Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.'**

"He isn't going to know how," Hermione pointed out.

Hagrid looked sheepish at that.

'"**What?"**

"**He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags… finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"**Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.'**

"Hagrid," many people sighed.

'"**Knuts?"**

"**The little bronze ones."**

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

"**Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."**

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.'**

"NOT THE HAPPY BALLOON!" Fred, George, and Lee shouted.

"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" continued Prongs, Sirius, Moony and Lupin.

Many people stared at their former teacher in surprise. He just smirked and shrugged. Harry, Ron and Hermione were laughing at the fact that no one knew that the four of them were the Marauders.

"I can't wait to see the look on Fred, George and Lee's faces when they find out you guys are their role models," Harry whispered to his Dad, Moony, Sirius and Snuffles who were within hearing distance and sent a wink at Lupin when he turned his head at the whisper, he was able to hear them from his place about 30 feet away because of the wolf.

'"**Um — Hagrid?"**

"**Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

"**I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night… he won't pay for me to go and learn magic."'**

"No money?" James asked. "There should be a trust vault set up in your name that you can use till you turn of age and can access the family vaults."

"Family vaults?" Harry asked bewildered. "You mean I have more than just the one small thing?"

"Of course you do," Draco answered from his place, sounding surprised. "You're from a VERY long line of purebloods, you probably have at least 3 vaults not including the trust vault."

"Why didn't anyone tell me that!" Harry asked shocked.

"I thought you knew," Lupin said surprised.

"No I.." Harry started but was interrupted.

"You can discuss this later right now we should read," Dumbledore said calmly. On the inside he was seething, _Damn! I need to keep him from those vaults!_

'"**Don1't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"**

"**But if their house was destroyed —"**

"**They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither."**

"**Wizards have banks?"'**

"Is it really that surprising?" a first year pureblood asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. "It just doesn't fit in the fairytales."

"**Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."**

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

"**Goblins?"**

"**Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that.'**

"Two galleons says Harry successfully does it before he graduates," Fred said.

"I'll take that bet," Bill said, "Harry's crazy, but not that crazy, and no one has ever gotten out with anything."

"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "No betting."

"It's just a bit of fun Molly let it go," Mr. Weasley said.

"Who else wants in?" George asked getting out a notebook to take it all down.

When everyone had placed their bets weather or not Harry would do it or not they got back to reading.

'**Never mess with goblins, Harry. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see."**

"**Got everythin'? Come on, then."**

**Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

"**How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

"**Flew," said Hagrid.'**

"Flew?!" the hall asked incredulously.

'"**Flew?"'**

"What he said!"

"I used a threastral," Hagrid said.

"huh," a lot of people asked.

When Hagrid opened his mouth to explain Harry cut in,

"It's a skeletal horse with leathery like skin and wings and can only be seen if you have seen someone die," he continued at the looks he got. "they pull the carriages, I can see them this year from watching Cedric die, but I think it will be explained better in the fifth book."

No one said anything so Hooch continued,

'"**Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh."**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

Most of the people in the hall nod their heads in agreement, even though they know what he used it was still hard to imagine.

"**Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. "If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"**

"**Of course not," said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

"**Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?" Harry asked.**

"**Spells — enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults.'**

"There had better not be Bill," Charlie said hotly.

"I don't know if there is Charlie, I don't actually work in the bank. Even if I did know o wouldn't be able to tell you, for security reasons."

Charlie gave his brother an evil eye and turned away.

'**And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.'**

"ya could'a asked 'Arry" Hagrid said gently. "I wodn't ave minded."

Harry blushed.

'"**Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual," Hagrid muttered, turning the page.'**

"Hey!" all the ministry officials yelled.

"It was then, only now is it changing," Harry said to Cornelius, Madam Bones, and the Aurors.

"That's, unfortunately true," Amelia sighed.

'"**There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

"'**Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."'**

"Ya, that's stopping now," Cornelius said with a grimace. "I need to make my own decisions, and the only person, at the present moment, who will have a say in the matter is Harry."

Dumbledore was seething on the inside. _No NO NO!_

'"**But what does a Ministry of Magic do?"**

"**Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."'**

"That is not all we do," Percy said indignantly.

"I know that now Percy," Harry laughed.

'"**Why?"'**

"Before you say it, I KNOW NOW!" Harry said before anyone could say anything.

'"**Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."'**

"My soon to be ex-husband is a prime example of why you are left alone," Petunia said starting to be more comfortable around the other people.

'**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"'**

"Hargid" groaned the staff and ministry workers. He smiled sheepishly.

'"**Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?"**

"**Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."**

"**You'd like one?"'**

"Hagrid, I'm glad you like Dragons, but even with six handlers per Dragon at the reserve, it is so dangerous. Even if you do have thicker skin than most people. You would be BBQ before it turned 1." Charlie said seriously, he liked Hagrid and didn't want him hurt.

Hagrid looked deep in thought.

'"**Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go."**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money," as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.'**

"I really do prefer muggle money," Hermione said. A lot of muggleborns and muggle-raised students agreed.

"Why?" Draco asked from the Slytherin section.

"Because there are little numbers on them to tell you how much each is worth," Lily stated.

A lot of the purebloods looked surprised.

'**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.'**

"What was that anyway?" Harry asked curiously.

"It was a floor mat for Fluffy," Hagrid said. Those who didn't know who Fluffy was just looked confused while those who did just shook their heads.

Al laughed from where he was sitting practically in Dudley's lap, "he still uses it too!"

"He's still around? And you have seen him?" Harry groaned.

"He's kinda on the old side now and mostly sleeps, but he is more mild tempered then from then," Al reassured his dad. Harry looked skeptical but let it go.

"**Still got yer letter, Harry?" he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

"**Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**UNIFORM**

**First-year students will require:**

**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

**COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set of glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope set**

**1 brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

"**Can we buy all this in London?" Harry wondered aloud.**

"**If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.'**

Snickering could be heard from around the room as people imagined Hagrid in the London underground.

'"**I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up? If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humor, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

"**This is it," said Hagrid, coming to a halt, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it. Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"**

"**Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.'**

A lot of people winced in sympathy.

'"**Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at Harry, "is this — can this be —?"'**

"And so it begins," Harry sighed and buried his head in Lils hair leaded against his moms legs.

Many people raised eyebrows at him.

'**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.'**

"That was probably a sight," Remus chuckled.

'"**Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Harry Potter… what an honor."**

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

"**Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back."**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.'**

"I was happy ya were back where ye belonged," Hagrid explained.

'**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.'**

Harry shuddered as he remembered being swamped by people. "that was absolutely horrible."

"Some things never change then," Jay said with a laugh. "Even nearly 2 decades after the end of the war you still get swamped by people and you still hate it."

Harry looked ready to cry.

'"**Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."**

"**So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud."**

"**Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter."**

"**Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."**

"**I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."'**

"I shouldn't have said that,' Harry moaned. Al, Jay and Lils all stifled a laugh at their dad's typical behavior.

Harry turned betrayed eyes to them, "You're laughing at me?" then he smiled a wicked smile that made everyone shiver and Lils and Jay tried to sneak away. Bur Harry grabbed them and started to tickle them. "Here is something to laugh at!" Jay and Lils were crying with laughter as their father tickled them.

A few minutes later he finally stopped and the two time-travelers were able to breathe again.

"Daddy," Lils whined.

"That's what you get for laughing at me," Harry said with a pout. Everyone else in the hall was watching on with amused expressions on their faces.

'"**He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"**

**Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

"**Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."'**

Harry, Ron and Hermione started muttering about stupid, weak minded idiots.

'"**P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."'**

"Oh, my god, that stupid stutter!" a fifth year Ravenclaw complained. "had to teach ourselves that year."

"And the next too," one of her friends said.

'"**What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"**

"**D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.**

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

"**Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."'**

"Thank you," Harry sighed. People giggled at how much he hated it.

'**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

"**Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."**

"**Is he always that nervous?"**

"**Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag — never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?"**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

"**Three up… two across…" he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry."**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

"**Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."'**

The whole hall erupted into cheers. Everyone was remembering their first trips to the alley.

Lily and James looked sad that there were not the ones to take him on his first trip there. Harry saw their expressions and smiled sadly at them, which they returned.

'**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.'**

"I was and am quite interested in potions," Harry said with a pointed look at the resident potions master.

"Then why do you fail so spectacularly at them?" said potions master responded.

"If you don't figure it out by the first lesson then I will tell you."

'"**Yeah, you'll be needin' one," said Hagrid, "but we gotta get yer money first."**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…"'**

"Was that you Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked curiously. She nodded her head while blushing that he remembered her from then.

'**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. **

"**Look," Harry heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —" There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

"**Gringotts," said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

"**Yeah, that's a goblin," said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

**Enter, stranger, but take heed**

**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

**For those who take, but do not earn,**

**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

**So if you seek beneath our floors**

**A treasure that was never yours,**

**Thief, you have been warned, beware**

**Of finding more than treasure there.'**

. "I love that poem," Lily sighed. Many people nodded their heads in agreement

"**Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," said Hagrid.'**

"I still say Harry will do it," Fred said.

"I still say he won't," Bill said confidently.

Harry looked on bemused.

'**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

"**Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."**

"**You have his key, sir?"'**

"Who has my key now?" Harry asked. "I know I don't have it."

"I still have it from this summer," Mrs. Weasley said. "I was going to keep it till Christmas and give it to you personally."

Harry nodded in acceptance.

"**Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid, and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of moldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

"**Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

"**That seems to be in order."**

"**An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."'**

"You shouldn't have said that in front of Harry, Hagrid," Hermione sighed. "He has the curiosity of a cat."

'**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

"**Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"**

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

"**What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Harry asked.'**

"See?" Hermione questioned.

"No one said otherwise 'Mione," Ron snickered. He got a head slap.

"I'm not that bad!" Harry protested. He just got looks in response.

'"**Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.'**

"I love the cart ride, its like a rollercoaster," Harry said with a smile.

"It really is like one," Tonks smiled with him and winked.

'**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.'**

"That was really far to remember Harry," Bill said surprised. Harry blushed.

' **The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late — they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

"**I never know," Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, "what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?"**

Madam Hooch quickly kept reading when she noticed that the Ravenclaws were getting ready to go on a big lecture about stalactites and stalagmites.

"**Stalagmite's got an 'm' in it," said Hagrid. "An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick."**

The Ravenclaws that had opened their mouths now looked on in horror at the complete lack of real answer.

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

"**All yours," smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking.'**

"That is unfortunately true," Petunia sighed. "We had received an allowance each month that was supposed to be used on Harry but Vernon always took it and bought things for him and sometimes Dudley and I. If he had known about that trust vault he would have found a way to take it all."

"The goblins would never have aloud it Mrs. Dursley," Bill said to the distraught mother.

"Thank you young man, but please either call me Petunia or at least Miss. Evans," Petunia said softly. "I want nothing to do with that man."

"Okay, Miss Evans, my name is Bill, and if you would like any help legally, come to me and I will take you to the Goblins. You may not personally have magic, but you are related to one of our world's most loved and respected families. They can make it legal in the muggle world in days. All Harry has to do is approve it, because you would be under the Potter's family protection."

"I would agree in a second," Harry said with conviction. Petunia hugged her nephew and kissed his cheek and shook hands with Bill not being able to speak.

'**How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London.**

**Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

"**The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." He turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"**

"**One speed only," said Griphook.**

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.'**

Harry got slapped on the back of the head by all the females in reach. He pouted and rubbed his head and turned betrayed eyes on his snickering cousin, father, uncles, and sons.

'**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

"**Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.'**

"Wow, high security," Bill said wide-eyed. "I defiantly think it is safer at Gringotts if it is in one of those vaults."

"You are certainly right about that Bill," Ron sighed. At the looks he got, "Spoilers, end of the book."

People groaned at that.

"**If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.**

"**How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Harry asked.**

"**About once every ten years," said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.'**

"The Philosopher's stone!" Remus and Moony exclaimed together.

"Oh come on!" Harry complained. "The titles cheating, it took half a year to figure it out!"

Remus and Moony smirked.

'"**Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut," said Hagrid.**

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

"**Might as well get yer uniform," said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

"**Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."'**

"OH SHIT!" Malfoy exclaimed remembering the conversation .

Harry remembering the same stood up and cleared his throat to gather attention to himself. "No one is to judge what is said and done between now and when I leave Madam Malkin's. No hexing or cursing or yelling, this is in the past and people have changed."

Malfoy looked kinda relieved but still scared. Harry motioned him over and he all but ran to the couch. Lily took one look at him and wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him between her and Petunia, trusting her son. Malfoy looked a bit shocked but settled down when Harry leaned against his legs. Al, Jay and Lils got as close as they could to Malfoy as well, the message was clear as day, _You won't like what happens now but it is NOT your choice do something about it, Stay back. _

'**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool'**

Understanding dawned on everyone as Hooch read.

'**while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

"**Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"**

"**Yes," said Harry.**

"**My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."'**

People were staring at Malfoy in shock. He was looking down in shame at his past actions. He cleared his throat;

"I am going to tell you this now, because my behavior gets worse as the story progresses, it is all an act," he pauses to gather his thoughts. "My Family has a certain reputation to keep, my father knew that the Dark Lord was not gone for good, though he was never loyal. He was forced into the mark by his father. He was a spy for the ministry the first time round and this time he just wants to be left alone but, if you do not answer the call the mark will kill you."

"I believe you Draco," Harry said loudly when people scoffed at the idea. "I have seen his father in the presence of Voldemort. He looks disgusted and reluctant to be there. Most of the Death Eaters that were summoned did."

"We can discuss this when it becomes more prudent I think," Dumbledore said sagely. _Lucious is a spy! Damn. _

'**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.'**

"At that point I am inclined to agree with you," Malfoy said sadly. Dudley looked up at him and winked with a grin, which was hesitantly returned.

'"**Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.**

"**No," said Harry.**

"**Play Quidditch at all?"**

"**No," Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.'**

"NNOO!" Prongs, Sirius, and Regulas whined. "He doesn't know what Quidditch is!"

"I do now," Harry pointed out.

"Are you on the team?" Sirius asked.

"Yes," Harry answered. "But you will have to wait and see what position." He threw a pointed look at the others which they understand. NO ONE GIVE IT AWAY.

The three Quidditch obsessed boys awed.

'"**I do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"**

"**No," said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.'**

"Sorry Harry," Draco said softly.

"Let it go Draco, its okay"

'"**Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been — imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"'**

The Hufflepuffs glared at Draco and he looked embarrassed.

'"**Mmm," said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

"**I say, look at that man!" said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

"**That's Hagrid," said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. "He works at Hogwarts."**

"**Oh," said the boy, "I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?"'**

More glares were sent at him but the glares from the people around him stopped anything more.

'"**He's the gamekeeper," said Harry. He was liking the boy less and less every second.**

"**Yes, exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage — lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic, and ends up setting fire to his bed."'**

"I am sorry Hagrid," Malfoy said quietly. "I had to keep appearances."

"Sa'alright Malfoy," Hagrid replied kindly. "I understand.'

'"**I think he's brilliant," said Harry coldly.**

"**Do you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"**

"**They're dead," said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

"**Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"**

"**They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."'**

"That was a very Slytherin answer Potter," Snape said with a smirk.

Harry just smirked back, surprising everyone.

'"**I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"'**

"Before anyone says anything I was trying to see if he was someone I could be myself around," Malfoy said put out. "Didn't really mean to insult him."

"Yes, well, you can trust me Draco, I don't bite," Harry said with a smile which was returned.

'**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear," and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

"**Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.**

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).'**

"That's my favorite!" James said with a smile.

"I like it too, but I prefer Butter Pecan," Harry said. James just smiled, "That was my mom's favorite."

Harry looked excited to learn something about his grandparents.

'"**What's up?" said Hagrid.**

"**Nothing," Harry lied. They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote. When they had left the shop, he said, "Hagrid, what's Quidditch?"**

"**Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!"**

"**Don't make me feel worse," said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

"— **and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —"**

"**Yer not from a Muggle family. If he'd known who yeh were — he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!"'**

"Sorry Petunia," Hagrid said Sheepishly.

She just smiled and waved him off knowing at that point it was true.

'"**So what is Quidditch?"**

"**It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules."**

"**And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"**

"**School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"**

"**I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.'**

"We would have been proud to have you Harry," Tonks said with a smile.

"I know now that I would have been proud to Be there, but I still like Gryffindor," Harry smile back. Tonks just winked.

'"**Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."**

"**Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?"**

"**Years an' years ago," said Hagrid.**

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

"**I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley."'**

"Thanks cousin," Dudley sulked.

"Do you blame me?"

"No"

'"**I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances," said Hagrid. "An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level."**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either ("It says pewter on yer list"), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

"**Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."**

**Harry felt himself go red.**

"**You don't have to —"**

"**I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at — an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'."**

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing.'**

"I love Hedwig, she is such a good owl," Harry said wistfully.

There was a bright flash above the hall and everyone looked up in time to see a beautiful snowy owl swoop down and land on Harry's shoulder and nestle his cheek. Everyone from the past and future stared at the owl that was acting like a worried mother preening Harry's hair and nipping his fingers as if to scold him for making her worry. Harry just chuckled and assured the worried bird he was fine, when she was satisfied she nipped his ear and looked at his daughter who was still sitting next to him and fluttered onto her shoulder to preen her hair as well.

"Hedwig this is Lily Luna, my daughter from the future, Lils this is Hedwig," Harry said softly, he could tell from the looks on the future kids faces they don't know her, he just hopes she died peacefully, though he doubts that's what happened.

'**He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.'**

Harry and anyone who knows what happened that night looked sick at the comparison.

'"**Don' mention it," said Hagrid gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys. Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."**

**A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.'**

"That's what everyone looks forward to," Teddy said wistfully. Many other people nodded their heads in agreement.

'**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.'**

"You felt that?" Kingsley's deep voice rang out with shock, people jumped having forgot he was there.

Harry just turned calmly to him and said, "Yes, it was like the magic was swimming in the air, swiriling in the air like a current."

"Not many people posses the ability to sense magic itself, it means you are very powerful Mr. Potter," Kingsley said with a smile. Harry didn't know how to react to that.

'"**Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

"**Hello," said Harry awkwardly.**

"**Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."'**

Lily grinned and pulled her wand out and changed the color of Prongs hair to pink, he yelped and glared at her knowing the charm would last about an hour. She just grinned as the people in the hall snickered at him.

'**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

"**Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration.'**

Prongs pulled out his wanted an transfigured Lily's robes into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that says marauders rule. She glared but knew it was set to wear off when hers did.

' **Well, I say your father favored it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."**

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

"**And that's where…"**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

"**I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…"**

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

"**Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"**

"**It was, sir, yes," said Hagrid.**

"**Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

"**Er — yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. "I've still got the pieces, though," he added brightly.**

"**But you don't use them?" said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

"**Oh, no, sir," said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.'**

Laughing was heard throughout the hall.

'"**Hmmm," said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"**

"**Er — well, I'm right-handed," said Harry.**

"**Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

"**That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."'**

"Nope," Ron said with a grin.

'**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

"**Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —"'**

"No," Hermione smiled.

'**Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

"**No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."'**

"Try again," Fred and George said grinning.

'**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.'**

"How many did you try Harry," Dudley asked curiously.

"About 60 I think," Harry said scratching the back of his head. "I lost count after 50, Cherry, 12 inches, mermaid hair. It had been the closest I had felt to right. It had been warm but no sparks."

"Really? Interesting," Arthur said quietly.

'"**Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."'**

"Bingo," Harry said with a smile and pulled out his wand and shot sparks into the air.

'**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"'**

"What's curious?" Colin asked.

'**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious… curious…"'**

"Really, what's curious?" Denis asked this time.

'"**Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.'**

"Creepy," Al whispered. Harry nodded remembering the experience.

'"**I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."'**

The silence in the hall was deafening. Harry finally broke the silence;

"That was why our wands connected last year." Harry said more of a statement then a question. When Dumbledore looked hesitant about answering Harry demanded. "Tell me. I deserve to know."

"Yes, master of brother wands cannot kill each other while using them," Dumbledore said grudgingly.

"Damn," Harry cursed.

'**Harry swallowed.**

"**Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great."**

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap. Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

"**Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves," he said.**

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

"**You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet," said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

"**Everyone thinks I'm special," he said at last. "All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died."'**

"Harry, you are special," Remus said quietly. "Who else could have done the things you have done, and from what I can tell, will do."

"It's just luck, I'm not special, and almost always had help," Harry denied.

"That's not true," Remus countered. "We will prove it to you."

'**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

"**Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact."**

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.**

"**Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, " he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me… . See yeh soon, Harry."**

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.'**

"That's the end of the chapter," Madam Hooch sighed. "Who's next?"

"Hagrid! You didn't tell him how to get onto the platform!" Lily fretted.

"Don't worry mum," Harry said with a smile at the Wealseys. "I got there fine."

"I'll read after we eat dinner," Madam Bones said. And with that the tables reappeared with food on them and everyone dug in chatting about what has happened so far and how the book will continue. After dinner was over Madam Bones picked up the book and began, "The next chapter is….

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**So, there you have it. **

**I have had some mixed thoughts in weather or not to change Harry's parring. If I did change it, it would be Harry/Draco and they would have a surrogate for kids but the I would have it so that the souls would be the same, so they would be the same kids just look slightly different. I would have it so that the future kids would have seen their parents fighting and don't particularly like Ginny. Thoughts? Opinions?  
**

**Leave me your thoughts and review please!**


	8. Chapter 6 The Journey From Platform 934

**Okay, this will probably be the last chapter for a while but I promise to try and not be forever. The reason being_ my grandma got her hip replaced and I LIVE woth my grandparents so I am on housework duty for a few weeks...yay...:(**

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**Review Responses**

**Katraj0908- Thank You! I am glad you like it.**

**ObsessiveDreamer- I am glad you agree with the change of paring. I just do not like Ginny, her character is really not there at all until she is needed to be Harry's girlfriend. There are a lot of Draco/Harry pairings that are very well written. If I may suggest something? Look up stories were either one of them are Veela. They are a really good read.**

**barrissandahsokafriends- I'm glad you like the story so far, but I am going to change the pairing. I just really do not like Ginny's character. The Draco/Harry stuff really won't go past hand holding or comforting till the second book if that helps. I really like redeeming the Malfoys and defiantly Snape, he so underappreciated. I really could go either way in my stories when it comes to Dumbledore, but he is really manipulative, this is the first time I have written a bad dumbles so bear with me please.**

**KaTiEjAnEwAy1- Thank you! And I agree with Harry/Ginny. I do not like it. I was shooting for uniting the houses as well. Don't worry, I have a plan for Remus and Sirius. It really won't start till after the Stone has been captured but the niggles of doubt will start before that, most likely at Halloween.**

**Thank You all for Reviewing!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**On with the story, see you at the bottom...  
**

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A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 8

The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

"_That's the end of the chapter," Madam Hooch sighed. "Who's next?"_

"_Hagrid! You didn't tell him how to get onto the platform!" Lily fretted._

"_Don't worry mum," Harry said with a smile at the Wealseys. "I got there fine."_

"_I'll read after we eat dinner," Madam Bones said. And with that the tables reappeared with food on them and everyone dug in chatting about what has happened so far and how the book will continue. After dinner was over Madam Bones picked up the book and began, "The next chapter is…._

* * *

…**.The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters."**

A cheer went off in the hall.

"Yes! Off to school!" Sirius shouted. Harry laughed at him.

"I always wondered what Hogwarts was like," Dudley said thoughtfully. "I guess I get to find out."

'**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.'**

"Was it ever?" Charlie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Harry admitted.

'**True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything, or shout at him — in fact, they didn't speak to him at all. Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty. Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.'**

"It was kinda weird," Harry said thinking back on it.

"I really didn't know how to act," Petunia admitted. "I was happy that you were getting away from Vernon but I didn't want you to end up dead like Lily did, well not now, you get what I mean."

"Yeah, I understand Aunt Petunia," Harry said with a small smile that was returned.

'**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in A History of Magic.'**

"You read History of Magic?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow at the same time the Twins gasped in horror.

"Yes."

'**His school books were very interesting.'**

Said twins fell out of their chairs clutching their chests, "WHY!"

Harry raised an eyebrow. Prongs and Sirius were looking and him in horror now.

'**He lay on his bed reading late into the night,'**

Now all four of them were on the floor with Lee and Ron not that far behind them.

Harry looked amused at their antics, Hermione looked mad.

"Is it so hard to believe that I was excited about magic," Harry asked.

"No, but did you have to enjoy reading?" Sirius fake sobbed.

Harry just shook his head and waved for Madam Bones to continue. Remus and Lupin were shaking their heads at their friends and formers students' antics. Jay, Al, Lils, Teddy, Rose and Hugo were snickering at their family's banter.

'**Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice. Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.'**

"I did that," Sirius and Regulas said together. They looked at each other in surprise.

Sirius really looked at his little brother and grinned. Regulas was wary but gave a small one back.

'**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day,'**

"You waited till the day before?" McGonagall asked incredulously.

"Less likely to say yes then change their minds," Harry shrugged. Petunia and Dudley nodded on agreement.

'**so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.'**

Dudley blushed, but at Harry's look no one said anything.

'"**Er — Uncle Vernon?"**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.'**

"Why Harry," Fred began.

"We didn't," George continued.

"You spoke," Fred.

"_Troll," _they finished together.

"I had lots of practice," harry said dryly.

'"**Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts."**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.'**

"Dad?" Lils asked sweetly.

"Yes Lils?" Harry looked down to her at his side.

"Are you sure he is not a Troll?" she asked innocently. Harry snorted and everyone laughed at her question.

"That's my girl," Prongs said and reached down and ruffled her hair.

'"**Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.'**

More snickering was heard.

'"**Thank you."**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.'**

"He speaks English," Severus said dryly. "After that conversation I thought Hagrid had turned him into a troll."

Everyone stared at him in shock then burst out laughing at the joke and the fact that the hated Potions Master joked. Even if it was his younger self. Both Snapes smirked at the slacked jawed mauraders and co.

"What, I know how to be funny when the occasion calls for it," Professor Snape said dryly. Lily just shook her head at her one time friend.

'"**Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"'**

"No, they are illegal," Luna said dreamily.

'**Harry didn't say anything.**

"**Where is this school, anyway?"'**

"Scotland," Blaise said matter-of-factly.

'"**I don't know," said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given**

**him out of his pocket.**

"**I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

"**Platform what?"**

"**Nine and three-quarters."**

"**Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon. "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."'**

"To muggles maybe," Draco said. It was the first time he had spoken since the pervious chapter.

'"**It's on my ticket."**

"**Barking," said Uncle Vernon, "howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross. We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother."**

"**Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

"**Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."'**

"Didn't actually need to," Dudley said thoughtfully. "We checked into a hotel after we took you to Kings Cross. We were going the next day. When I we got up the next day, it was gone."

"Mr. Potter's magic must have been what was keeping the spell from running out," Professor Filtwick said thoughtfully. "He probably didn't even realize he was doing it."

"No, I didn't," Harry blushed. Dudley just laughed, "Its okay, really."

'**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes —'**

"Well, at least you had some sense," Professor McGonagall said. At the curious looks she elaborated. "At least one kid per year wears their robes to the station and we have send obiviators."

Any of the students who had done that blushed as other students snickered.

'**he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up. Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him. Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.'**

"He's being nice," Charlie said shocked. "Why is he being nice?"

"Wait for it," Harry sighed.

'"**Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"**

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.'**

"I was never so happy to be wrong," Harry grinned.

'"**Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away.'**

"YOU LEFT HIM ALONE IN THE STATION!" Petunia yelled Vernon who looked unrepentant.

"You didn't know I was alone?" Harry asked shocked.

"NO!" Petunia denied. "I thought you had gotten onto the platform before he came back."

'**All three of them were laughing.'**

"I was happy that you had finally gotten away," Petunia said to the looks directed at her.

"I was laughing because I saw someone trip on the sidewalk," Dudley said. Harry nodded in acceptance.

'**Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone.'**

"Why is there no one there to help the muggle raised population get on the platform?" Harry asked confused. "I mean, even if you explain how to do it when you first meat a professor, it can still be intimidating, the wall looks really solid."

"It can do more than look solid when the occasion calls for it," Ron muttered. People shot him confused looks. "Spoilers, second year." People grumbled.

"That is a very good idea Mr. Potter," Madam Bones said thoughtfully. "It might keep people from becoming to suspicious."

"I will look into it personally Harry," Cornelius promised.

'**He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters. The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley. He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.'**

"Your wand would just go straight through the wall," Kingsley chuckled. "It is designed so that if someone did that then the wall would cast a notice me not charm on the person and pull them through the wall."

"Now I'm told," Harry grumbled.

'**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"— **packed with Muggles, of course —"**

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him — and they had an owl.'**

All the Weasleys grinned at their entrance into the book.

'**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

"**Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.'**

"Molly," Lily said slowly. "Why do you ask when you have been on the platform a hundred times."

"One is because I was making sure Ron knew," Molly started and Ron shoot her a look saying, _Are you kidding me, how many time have I been to the damn platform. _She ignored him and continued, "Two was because every year there is someone who can't get on the platform, they usually wait until they we go through then follow, I say it because they normally eavesdrop on those around the platform like Harry did."

"See, this is why we need people there," Harry said. Madam Bones and Cornelius nodded thoughtfully.

'"**Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand, "Mom, can't I go…"**

"**You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.'**

"I'm not the oldest total but I was in that group," Percy chuckled. Harry looked at him cautiously, Percy saw him looking and said, "May I talk to you either before bed or before we read tomorrow?"

"Yes, but tomorrow," Harry agreed. "I don't think I will be up to it tonight."

Percy nodded in agreement.

'**Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.'**

Everyone groaned at Harry's luck.

'"**Fred, you next," the plump woman said.**

"**I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"'**

"**Sorry, George, dear."**

"**Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.'**

Harry chuckled, while everyone else groaned at the old joke. "That actually was George."

"Wha—how?" The Twins said together. Harry just tapped his nose, "A magician never reveals his secrets."

'**His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it?**

**Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

"**Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.**

"**Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."**

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.'**

"Thanks mate," Ron blushed.

Harry threw his hands in the air, "how was I supposed to know they would write my thoughts down? I wasn't actually going to say anything, it's rude."

'"**Yes," said Harry. "The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —"**

"**How to get onto the platform?" she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

"**Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."**

"**Er — okay," said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.'**

Harry and Ron both winced remembering second year.

'**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash —**

**It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.'**

A cheer went around the hall as the story finally got to the Magic. People were wistful as they remembered their first encounter with the Platform and the Train.

'**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."'**

"Neville," the Gryffindor's cheered. Said boy blushed and ducked his head as his parents looked amused.

'"**Oh, Neville," he heard the old woman sigh.'**

"Where are we?" Alice asked softly.

Harry looked at Neville who looked a little scared to answer and spoke up, "I do believe that you are mentioned in the forth book if this tells everything."

Frank and Alice didn't like it but they nodded. Neville shot Harry a grateful look then paled, _You know? _he mouthed. Harry nodded. Neville looked unsure of how to take that.

'**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.'**

"LEE!" a lot of people cheered. Said boy stood up and bowed.

'"**Give us a look, Lee, go on."**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.'**

Ron shuddered. Hermione patted him on the back and Rose kissed his cheek. He blushed but smiled.

'**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.'**

Many people winced in sympathy.

"You need to get someone to put a feather wait charm on it," Draco said with a chuckle.

"I'll do it for you when the reading is done Harry," Remus said with a smile. Harry nodded gratefully.

'"**Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.'**

"George," Harry said. Fred and George stared at him, this time Harry just rolled his eyes and motioned to the book.

'"**Yes, please," Harry panted.**

"**Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"'**

"Oh," Fred and George blushed.

'**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

"**Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

"**What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.'**

"Fred," Harry said. People stared when Fred nodded.

'"**Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you —?"'**

"George," Harry said. No one knew what to say.

'"**He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**Harry Potter." chorused the twins.**

"**Oh, him," said Harry.'**

"Oh, him?" Charlie snorted. "Seriously?"

"What, I wasn't used to my name being a household thing," Harry defended himself. People sobered at that.

'"**I mean, yes, I am."**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red.'**

"Sorry little brother," they said together.

"It's fine," Harry smiled. "It was actually better than some people, you at least tried to not stare while you tried to find something to say."

Fred and George grinned sheepishly and everyone else blushed at the casual way he told them off.

'**Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

"**Fred? George? Are you there?"**

"**Coming, Mom."**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.**

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.'**

"Harry, eavesdropping is rude," Lily scolded.

"I wanted to know what a wizarding family acted like," Harry defended quietly.

'**Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

"**Ron, you've got something on your nose."**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.'**

Ron blushed Weasley red while people snickered. His mother looked unrepentant. Arthur looked embarrassed for his son.

"Social Suicide mum," Bill muttered.

"He had something on his nose Bill, I wasn't going to let someone embarrass him," she said oblivious to what happened.

"But YOU embarrassed him," Arthur told her. She just shook her head in denial.

A lot of people exchanged looks.

'"**Mom— geroff" He wriggled free.**

"**Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.'**

"Okay which one was it," Bill demanded.

"Fred," Harry grinned. Fred nodded dazed.

'"**Shut up," said Ron.**

"**Where's Percy?" said their mother.**

"**He's coming now."**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

"**Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —"'**

Percy blushed and looked embarrassed at his past self. The Weasleys took that as a good sign.

'"**Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."'**

"Fred," Harry said at the expectant look. Fred nodded again.

'"**Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once —"**

"**Or twice —"**

"**A minute —"**

"**All summer —"**

"**Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.'**

"Was I really that bad?" Percy asked shocked.

"Yes," all the Weasley children said and Arthur nodded his head sheepishly.

"No dear their just being mean," Molly glared at the twins. Everyone looked at her like she was nuts, even Percy knew that he was bad.

"Yes, I was," Percy agreed with his siblings. Molly stubbornly shook her head.

'"**How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.'**

"George," Harry said at the expectant look. George nodded.

'"**Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there."**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

"**Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —"'**

All the teachers groaned. "Never give a prankster ideas Molly,'' McGonagall sighed.

"**Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."**

"**Great idea though, thanks, Mom."'**

"See."

"Who was first?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Fred then George," Harry said with a smile knowing she was figuring it out.

'"**It's not funny. And look after Ron."**

"**Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."'**

"Fred," Harry sighed, getting irritated at the expectant looks.

'"**Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

"**Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"'**

"Fred."

'**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

"**You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"'**

"George."

'"**Who?"**

"**Harry Potter!"'**

"Together."

"Okay, you have to at least tell US how you know," Fred demanded.

"Sure Fred," Harry laughed. "After I get my check up."

'**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

"**Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…"'**

Ginny blushed, grinned and battered her eyelashes at Harry. Harry and his kids rolled their eyes at the obsessed nature of Ginny.

'"**You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"**

"**Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning."'**

"That was George."

Everyone was really starting to get annoyed that he won't say how he does it.

"You may have said Fred but you were facing George so he answered."

Molly flushed.

'"**Poor dear — no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."**

"**Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"'**

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

"**I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."'**

"That time it Really was Fred," Harry sniggered. "I wouldn't have minded at that point if he asked but not now."

'"**All right, keep your hair on."'**

"You said that to Mum?" Charlie said amazed.

'**A whistle sounded.**

"**Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

"**Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."**

"**We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat."**

"**George!"**

"No," Harry sighed. "George was first then Fred."

"How." Molly demanded. "I'm their mother and I can't tell them apart."

Harry just shook his head.

'"**Only joking, Mom."**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to — but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.'**

"Anything was better than that Potter," a seventh year Ravenclaw snorted.

'**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

"**Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. "Everywhere else is full."**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.'**

Ron flushed and glared at Harry who shrugged.

'"**Hey, Ron."**

**The twins were back.'**

"Fred."

'"**Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."'**

"George."

'"**Right," mumbled Ron.**

"**Harry," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."'**

"Fred."

'"**Bye," said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

"**Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.**

**Harry nodded.**

"**Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know…"**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

"**So that's where You-Know-Who —?"**

"**Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."**

"**Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.'**

"Ronald I told you not to ask!" Molly screeched.

"He was 11 Mrs. Weasley, and he was curious," Harry defended his friend. "I didn't care then, now I do, but him asking that got me my best friend."

She backed down at the look on Harry's face.

'"**Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."**

"**Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

"**Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

"**Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."**

"**So you must know loads of magic already."**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.'**

Draco grimaced, "Not quite, they are a relatively recent pureblood family, they do not carry a title or have the money of an old family."

"It's true," James confirmed. "They are only a third generation pureblood family."

'"**I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"**

"**Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."**

"**Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."'**

"You do know that you should just be your own person," Bill said shocked. "Do you still feel that way?"

"NO!" Ron denied. "I grew out of that when I realized that I have my own life to lead and that I won't fit the mold mum set for me. She wants me to work for the ministry like Percy and Dad but have the work ethic of Bill and Charlie. I am not my brothers, I have my own life."

"Couldn't have said it better myself Ron," Fred said. "Mum wants us all to be the same, but we are all different, she doesn't see it, it got bad after you and Charlie left the country Bill, and George and I started to work on a joke shop."

"Why do you think we left?" Charlie snorted. "There is a Dragon Reserve in south Wales and Bill could have chosen between working in Scotland's castles or Egypt's tombs."

"I just want what's best for you!" Molly yelled. "I want you close so I can keep an eye on you and I want you with a safe job and a wife and family!"

"THEN STOP CODDILING US!" her seven kids yelled.

"They are all different people," Harry sighed. "Not everyone has the same ambitions and goals as everyone else. From what I can gather from knowing your children, Mrs. Weasley, is that Bill and Charlie love the outdoors and would not do well on a desk job, Fred and George live to make people smile, that would be wasted as paper pushers, Percy was born for the Ministry I'll give you that, Ron is a natural strategist and if he gets his temper in check would be a fantastic aurour, Ginny is an amazing flyer, I don't doubt she will go pro on Quidditch."

"Harry's right Molly," Arthur sighed. "They are all their own people. We will talk about this later. You need to let go and we need to move on in the book."

Molly looked ready to explode but Madam Bones quickly read on;

'**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.'**

Lupin, Snuffles the trio and all of the future kids glowered at the mention of the traitor. A lot of people were confused, the rest of the Weasleys were not told that Pettigrew was their pet so they were lost.

"**His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."**

**Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

"… **and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —"**

**Ron gasped.**

"**What?" said Harry.**

"**You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people —"'**

"I am not afraid of saying his name," Harry raised an eyebrow. "That's stupid."

'"**I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."'**

Everyone snorted at that, Harry blushed.

'"**You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"**

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.'**

At the raised eyebrows he said, "I wanted to try everything, I had never had any of it."

People nodded their heads in understanding.

'**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

"**Hungry, are you?"**

"**Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef.."'**

"That's me mum," Charlie sighed. "Ron likes peanut butter and strawberry jelly."

People looked shocked that their own mother was that bad at remembering who wanted what after so many years.

"No wonder he felt that way Molly," Arthur sighed in frustration.

'"**Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on —"**

"**You don't want this, it's all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with five of us."'**

"That is no excuse," Lily snapped. "If you are going to have that many kids you need to be able to make each child feel just as loved as the next. We had an Aunt who had eight kids, she made sure that she knew what each kid did and did not like and spent time everyday with each child so that no one felt neglected, their father did the same."

"Dad does spend time with us, doing what we want to do, he does all that," Ron said. "He just works a lot so we are mostly with mum, who doesn't."

Arthur was looking at his wife like he didn't know her, "We WILL be talking about this."

'"**Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

"**What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?" He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.'**

"I was wrong," Harry snorted.

'"**No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."**

"**What?"**

"**Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."**

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

"**So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.**

"**Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —"**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.'**

"On the bloody chocolate Frog card," Ron shook his head.

"Wish I had remembered that earlier," Harry sighed. Hermione nodded in agreement, people looked on confused.

'**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

"**He's gone!"**

"**Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting."**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.**

"**Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."**

"**Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"'**

"You think like Dad, Ron," Ginny giggled.

"That's not a bad thing," Ron said, "I happen to like learning about the Muggle world."

'**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose,'**

"Good start to a collection," Regulas said approvingly.

"I found one of myself about two weeks ago," Harry grumbled. "I didn't know I was on one, it was an old one to, because it was a picture from when I was a baby. I asked around and there is a new one with a picture from the Tournament last year and my involvement in that."

"Both of which are very rare," Draco chuckled at Harry's grumbles. "I have one of both."

"I didn't know I was on one till I found it," Harry exclaimed.

"We thought you knew," Lee said.

"NO!"

"You need a trip to Gringotts," Bill said seriously. "They can tell you anything you need to know about what you are knowingly or in this case unknowingly involved with. I'll take you personaly when the reading is over."

"Thank you Bill," Harry said sincerely.

'**to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.**

"**You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."**

"I did," George grimaced. "It was awful."

'**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

"**Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."'**

Ron grimaced with everyone else in the hall.

'**They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch,'**

"Good choice," Severus nodded.

'**which turned out to be pepper.**

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

"**Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"**

"**He'll turn up," said Harry.'**

"Thanks Harry," Neville smiled.

"I should have helped you look," Harry denied.

"No, you were fine," Neville insisted. "He turned up in the end, it was hard to get around on the train anyway, especially as a tiny first year."

Harry conceded the point.

'"**Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him…"**

**He left.**

"**Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."'**

"I would rather have lost him," Ron muttered angrily.

"Me to Ron," Harry sighed back.

'**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.'**

All those who knew looked sick at the thought.

'"**He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.'**

"You really should have gotten him a new wand," Kingsley said. "I know your money was a little tight then but if there was anything that NEEDED to be new and his own was a wand. Another persons wand never works well for someone else unless the allegiance was won, which I doubt was the case, and the core sticking out was dangerous."

"Really?" Neville asked as he fingered his. Kingsley nodded and Neville sighed, "That would explain some things."

"Why do you have a used wand?" Draco asked curiously not meanly. "It's not like you don't have the money."

"Gran thought if I used this one I would be more like she wanted and less of a pansy," Neville said as he pulled out the wand.

"Hey! That's my wand!" Frank said in shock. "It really won't work for you. You seem to be more like your mother than me, hers would probably have worked somewhat better."

"I will take you to Olivander's when we are done here Neville," Remus said. "You need your own wand."

Frank nodded gratefully at his friend and Neville smiled at him and nodded.

'"**Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —"**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.'**

Hermione blushed and hide her head in her hands when she remembered the following conversation.

'"**Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.'**

"Harry!" Smack! She had thrown a book and hit him in the head.

"Hermione," Harry whined and gave her puppy dog eyes. "I didn't know this would be read aloud."

She backed down with a huff.

'"**We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

"**Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.'**

Hermione looked shocked at her own actions.

'"**Er — all right."**

**He cleared his throat.**

"**Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."'**

The hall burst out laughing at that.

"You actually feel for that?" Fred chuckled.

"Yeah," Ron said chuckling with him. He had long gotten over it and learned to appreciate the humor in it. "I was a bit thick."

'**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

"**Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"'**

Madam Bones got a bit tongue tied with the past paragraphs.

'**She said all this very fast.'**

"You really did," Ron chuckled. It took me a minute to process everything you had said.

'**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.**

"**I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.**

"**Harry Potter," said Harry.**

"**Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."'**

"Wow," Dudley said in awe.

"I read those later," Harry said to Hermione and Dudley. "They were either completely wrong or very vague."

"Yeah, I figured that out after I got to know you."

"You find the true story in these books if I am not wrong," Harry said directed at Dudley who smiled at the thought of learning what his cousin lived like and his parents story.

'"**Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.'**

"I would have to," Sirius chuckled.

'"**Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."'**

"Wow," Hermione said embarrassed. "I'm not that bad now am I?"

"No," Harry assured her. "You mellowed out some after Halloween, then again this past summer."

"Good," she said. "That really is embarrassing."

'**And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.**

"**Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron.'**

"RON!" his mother yelled.

"I didn't mean for her to know that! and I certainly don't mean it now!"

"It's okay Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. "I don't hold it against him. He makes up for it later."

'**He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."'**

"Then why try it?" A first year puff asked.

"Because they regulate what is truth and what is not enough that you can't tell if its real or not," Ron sighed.

"That's what makes us good pranksters," George said with a smug grin.

'"**What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.**

"**Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."'**

"I wouldn't care what house you're in Ron," Arthur assured his son. "My mother was a Slytherin and my brother was a Ravenclaw."

"We wouldn't care," Bill said speaking for the rest of the siblings.

Molly didn't say anything but you could see she didn't agree.

"You wouldn't have made Slytherin anyway," Draco said quietly. "You are too brash."

"I agree with Draco," Harry nodded. Ron shrugged saying it didn't matter.

'"**That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"**

"**Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

"**You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

"**Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron.'**

"Africa!?" Bill said insulated. "Egypt."

"I know, it was a slip of the tongue."

"Good."

'"**Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."'**

"That was a nightmare," Bill sighed remembering all the hassle at work.

'**Harry stared.**

"**Really? What happened to them?"**

"**Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."'**

"He was," Harry sighed.

"That explains some things," Bill muttered.

'**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.**

"**What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.**

"**Er — I don't know any." Harry confessed.**

"**What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —" And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.'**

Draco groaned realizing it was him. Harry shifted and leaned back against his legs, Lils had gotten up and snuggled into Sirius' side, so Harry took the opportunity to 'casually' wrap his arm around Draco's leg. The message clear; _He is forgiven for what has been done to me and my friends, Do Not try anything. _Sirius looked shocked but put his arm around her to hold her to him.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances before nodding and making their way over to them and settling down on the ground near the couch. Ron was on the other side of Dudley not that Al had gone to sit with his Uncle Charlie, who looked surprised but was happy. Hermione sat on the other side of Harry, at Lily's prompting leaned back against her legs. Draco, who was still sitting between Lily and Petunia, looked shocked at the obvious display of 'we trust you on this' loyalty. Prongs reached over, from where he was sitting on Lily's other side, and gripped Draco's shoulder in support.

'**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

"**Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.'**

"Cause they were," Draco snorted. "Their fathers had put them up to it, and mine said to keep appearances to let them be."

Said teens were sitting oblivious to everything on the other side of the room.

'"**Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."'**

"Bond, James Bond," one of the Muggleborns managed to say before she, and everyone who understood the reference burst out laughing. Everyone else just shrugged understanding that the joke was muggle related.

'**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

"**Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."**

**He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.'**

Harry had turned around and offered his hand, "New start?"

"New Start," Draco confirmed. They smiled at each other and everyone looked on in shock as Hogwarts number one schoolyard enemies made a truce and friendship.

'"**I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

"**I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."'**

"I'm sorry," Draco grimaced ashamed. "That was harsh and low."

"It's fine, Draco" Harry assured. "It's the past and I'm over it."

'**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

"**Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

"**Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.**

"**Unless you get out now," said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

"**But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."**

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle'**

"Probably the only good thing that rat did," Ron muttered.

"What did that Rat ever do to you?" Molly asked her son upset that he was badmouthing a former pet.

"Oh, a whole lot," Harry said angrily. "But that isn't a topic for discussion now, you will find out during the third book."

"Fine," Molly huffed.

'— **Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

"**What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

"**I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep."'**

"Lazy rat," Remus muttered so only snuffles could hear and huffed in agreement.

'**And so he had.**

"**You've met Malfoy before?"**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

"**I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."'**

"Mum was under the Imperious from her sister," Draco explained sadly. "Dad was a spy like I said before, he even had to hide from Mum till she was free."

'**He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"**

"**You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"**

"**Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"**

"**All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"'**

People snickered and Ron glared at Harry who looked innocent. "Did you have to remember that?"

"Yes."

'**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him, you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."'**

Another cheer sounded in the hall.

'**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"**

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.**

"**C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

"**Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."**

**There was a loud "Oooooh!"'**

"Always the same reaction," Hagrid chuckled.

'**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.'**

"It really is a wonderful way to see your home for the next seven years for the first time," Susan said wistfully. "It truly is beautiful."

Many people nodded in agreement.

"I will take you across the lake when this is over if you wish," Professor Flitwick said noticing the looks on Petunia's and Dudley's faces. They nodded eagerly at the thought.

'"**No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

"**Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

"**Heads down!" yelled Hagrid'**

Severus, Lily, Sirius, Remus and Moony snickered. James was glaring at them. "Not funny."

"But Jamesy! It really was!" Sirius laughed.

"What Happened?" Harry asked eager to learn more about his parents.

"Your father was being distracted by the giant squid," Remus explained. "He wasn't paying attention and didn't duck, the curtain of ivy dragged him out of the boat into the water."

Most of the people in the hall were laughing at the image of a young James Potter being thrown into the Lake. Said marauder crossed his arms and pouted.

'**as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

"**Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

"**Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.'**

"Thank you Hagrid," Neville said gratefully. Hagrid just waved it off with a smile.

'**Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

"**Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.' **Madam bones finished. "That is the end of the chapter. Who's next?"

"I will," Arthur said with a smile. "It should be the sorting, I wish to read about my youngest son's sorting."

Madam Bones levitated the book over to him. Harry paled a little remembering what he argued with the Hat about, but then he calmed down looking over at Draco and realized it didn't matter, it was the past.

Arthur cleared his throat and began, "The next chapter is….

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**So there it is, they are finally at the castle. Tell me what you think!**

**Read and review!**


	9. Chapter 7 The Sorting Hat

**I am so sorry for the wait! I am currently a junior in high school so I am basically swamped in work. Not only that but I am a Varsity Volleyball player, and a proud member of my thespians troupe, so I am a little short on time. I will try and update as soon as possible. This story will NOT be abandoned. Thanks for sticking in there! **

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**Review Responses **

Kelsie- Thank You for pointing that out. That was defiantly NOT what I was going for. I have fixed it now. Thanks again.

GreekGeekGirl- Thanks! My Grandma is back up and about now. J

Persephone Potter Harrys twin- The Pairing is Harry/Draco :-)

Princess Of Flames- Don't worry he will be in the story but not for a while.

Thank You all for Reviewing!

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

**On with the story... **

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A Lovely Little Trick

Chapter 9

The Sorting Hat

_**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.' **__Madam bones finished. "That is the end of the chapter. Who's next?"_

"_I will," Arthur said with a smile. "It should be the sorting, I wish to read about my youngest son's sorting."_

_Madam Bones levitated the book over to him. Harry paled a little remembering what he argued with the Hat about, but then he calmed down looking over at Draco and realized it didn't matter, it was the past. _

_Arthur cleared his throat and began, "The next chapter is…. _

123/ALLT-PS\\\321

**. . .The Sorting Hat."**

A Cheer sounded through the hall, all the fifth years smiled in remembrance of their sorting.

'**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.'**

"Yet, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall sighed. "You constantly do so."

"I don't go looking for trouble Professor," Harry defended himself. "I just seem to be the only one, including the teachers, that don't just want to sweep it under the rug."

Here the teachers had the grace to look sheepish as they remembered everything he had gotten into because they hadn't done anything. The Headmaster had said that he would take care of it so they hadn't worried about it. Now they realize that they should have.

'"**The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. **

"**Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

"**Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."'**

"Do you use the same speech every year Minerva?" Frank asked bemused.

"Yes," she said simply. "The same speech works for every generation and I don't have time to come up with a new one every year like the Hat. Who, might I add, spends most days on a shelf in the headmaster's office."

Everyone nodded their heads at her argument.

'**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.'**

"Not gonna work," the marauders sung. Harry grumbled something about stupid jealous witches who needed to grow up. Laughter was heard from those close enough to hear.

'"**I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."'**

Snorts were heard around the room.

'**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

"**How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.**

"**Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."'**

"FRED!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"MUM!" Ron interrupted before she could get going. "It's fine, he didn't mean anything by it, he was just joking, I knew it then as well."

Molly huffed but let it go. The people that had plugged their ears as she had opened her mouth took their fingers out of their ears and sighed in relief. (AKA Remus, Moony, and Teddy).

'**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet —what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived.**

**He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.'**

"Oh, I was such a brat," Hermione moaned and hid her face in Ron's shoulder. Ron blushed bright red while their children giggled at them.

'**Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue.'**

Harry blushed while the pranksters cheered.

'**He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.'**

"Your so pessimistic Harry," Charlie sighed.

"What did you expect?" Harry demanded. People just shook their heads.

'**Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air — several people behind him screamed.'**

"What happened?" Petunia yelped. Harry grinned at her.

"Just the Ghosts."

"Ghosts?" Dudley muttered. "Great."

"Wait and see Dudley, you'll like them."

'"**What the —?"**

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: **

"**Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —"**

"**My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years. Nobody answered.**

"**New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

"**Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."'**

"Oh, so they are nice?" Petunia asked in relief.

"Yeah," Harry grinned while everyone nodded.

"**Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

"**Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair,'**

"Seamus," Harry smiled at his friend. Seamus smiled back with a wink. Harry blushed. Draco looked between the two and frowned slightly. Ginny was glaring at Seamus, as was her mother.

'**with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.'**

Everyone was remembering their first time in the Great Hall.

'**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.'**

Petunia and Dudley were looking at the book in awe. It sounded amazing. They may have been in the hall but it was white and clean and the candles were gone, so was the ceiling.

"We will show you when the reading is over," Minerva said when she saw their looks.

'**Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper,**

"**Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."**

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.**

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.'**

"But why is it there?" Petunia asked confused.

"You'll see Tuny," Lily said with a giggle.

'**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, Harry thought wildly,'**

"Why would you need to do that, Potter?" Zacharias Smith sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes, "because that is what muggle magicians do Smith, and I thought that because I didn't know anything about magic at the time."

"Stupid trick," he sneered again. Harry just sighed and shook his head thinking, _why did I let this moron into the DA again? _

''**that seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:'**

"I'm sorry, what?" Petunia asked bewildered.

"You heard that right Miss. Evens," Hermione smiled. "I almost fainted when it happened. That isn't mentioned on _Hogwarts: A History_, because it is a tradition for it to be a secret."

"But what does it do?" Dudley asked exasperated.

"It sorts us into our houses," Harry chuckled. "You'll see. Just listen."

'"_**Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**_

_**But don't judge on what you see,**_

_**I'll eat myself if you can find**_

_**A smarter hat than me.**_

_**You can keep your bowlers black,**_

_**Your top hats sleek and tall,**_

_**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**_

_**And I can cap them all.**_

_**There's nothing hidden in your head**_

_**The Sorting Hat can't see,**_

_**So try me on and I will tell you**_

_**Where you ought to be.**_

_**You might belong in Gryffindor,**_

_**Where dwell the brave at heart,**_

_**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**_

_**Set Gryffindors apart;**_

_**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**_

_**Where they are just and loyal,**_

_**Those patient Hufflepuffs are true**_

_**And unafraid of toil;**_

_**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**_

_**if you've a ready mind,**_

_**Where those of wit and learning,**_

_**Will always find their kind;**_

_**Or perhaps in Slytherin**_

_**You'll make your real friends,**_

_**Those cunning folk use any means**_

_**To achieve their ends.**_

_**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**_

_**And don't get in a flap!**_

_**You're in safe hands (though I have none)**_

_**For I'm a Thinking Cap!"'**_

Arthur had started to sing but Harry had sung it instead when he started to say it instead. People stared at him.

"What. Its catchy," Harry defended himself.

"No, that's not it Harry," Ron said awed. "You have an amazing voice!"

Many people nodded their heads at his exclamation. Harry blushed and ducked his head.

"I really don't," Harry mumbled.

"Yes you do Daddy," Lils mumbled as she crawled back into his lap from where she was hugging Sirius. "You sing to us at night if we ask." Al, Teddy and Jay nodded their heads in agreement. Harry blushed again.

'**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

"**So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."'**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat there shocked before Ron said, "I had forgotten you said that Fred."

"Why? Is it important?" Fred asked having noticed their looks.

"Spoilers," Harry shook his head. People grumbled, really starting to hate that saying.

'**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.'**

Snorts were heard around the room.

"I think that most people would have been there Potter," Daphne Greengrass drawled.

Harry blushed.

'**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

"**When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down.'**

Hannah blushed at her description and the fact that this was her first time mentioned.

'**A moments pause —**

"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. **

And all of her house.

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.'**

As they are doing now.

'**Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

"**Bones, Susan!"'**

Susan smiled and waved.

'"**HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.'**

Loud cheering was heard again.

'"**Boot, Terry!"'**

He gave a small nod of his head.

'"**RAVENCLAW!"**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.'**

Said students also cheered and of the ones that shook his hand, did it again.

'"**Brocklehurst, Mandy"'**

A shy smile was her reaction.

'**went to Ravenclaw too, but'**

The Ravenclaws cheered again.

'"**Brown, Lavender"' **

Lavender gave a cheerful wave.

'**became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.'**

Fred and George went for a repeat performance as did the rest of the table.

'"**Bulstrode, Millicent"' **

Said girl smirked when she was mentioned.

'**then became a Slytherin.'**

The snakes, having stopped wearing their masks broke into cheers, shocking everyone in the room.

'**Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.'**

"I stand corrected," Harry said loudly before anyone could protest or agree. "You guys wear masks and I am glad that you have taken them down for this reading."

Many of the Slytherins looked shocked before they smiled a true smile at the famous boy. Many of the other people in the hall looked like they agreed with Harry's new outlook. Though a lot of people still looked outraged. cough_Dumbledore_Cough. cough_Ginny_Cough.

'**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.'**

"Dudley I swear to God if you apologize one more time I will put tickling charm on you and leave it there till tomorrow!" Harry threatened when Dudley looked ready to apologize. His mouth clicked shut with a _'Snap'. _

'"**Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"'**

He got up and gave a bow.

'"**HUFFLEPUFF!"'**

The badgers gave another loud cheer, showing off their loyalty.

'**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide.'**

"A lot of students have the potential to be in more than one house," Flitwick squeaked. "It was torn between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor for me."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "Same for me."

"You would have done well in Ravenclaw Miss. Granger but your strength lies in your bravery. For me all that I have is my dueling which I only use in case of extreme emergency unless it is in a controlled environment."

Many students nodded understanding, remembering that Flitwick is a worldwide dueling champion.

'"**Finnigan, Seamus,"' **

The Irish boy gave a wolf whistle.

'**the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.'**

The lions roared like their mascot.

'"**Granger, Hermione!"'**

The braniac smiled at her name.

'**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.'**

Then she blushed.

'"**GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.'**

The roar was deafening.

'**Ron groaned.'**

"I'm sorry Mione," Ron said sadly.

"I know you are," Hermione said with a smile. "We weren't exactly on the best of terms till Halloween."

Several people exchanged glances remembering what happened on Halloween that year. _Was it involved?_

'**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?'**

"You would never have received a letter if that were true," McGonagall chuckled. "It is done magically. No error possible."

Harry blushed.

'**When Neville Longbottom,'**

He gave a small smile, and his parents gave large smiles.

'**the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR,"'**

Cheers resounded around the hall.

"What took so long Nev?" Harry asked.

"It couldn't decide between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor," Neville said with a shrug.

'**Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."'**

Neville blushed as Morag stood from the Ravenclaw table and gave a bow, he was actually a handsome young man, with sandy brown hair, beautiful sea-green eyes, and was about 5'11 at fifteen.

'**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"'**

All the Slytherins cheered as well as Harry and his friends, Draco gave an embarrassed smile and a wave.

'**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.**

**There weren't many people left now. "Moon"… , "Nott"… , "Parkinson"… , then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"… , then "Perks, Sally-Anne"… , and then, at last —'**

Each person gave a bow and a wave as their name was called and their house cheered.

'"**Potter, Harry!"'**

The hall shook with how loud people were cheering for the young savior. Everyone leaned forward, anxious to hear what the hat said to him. Harry looked a bit aggravated at that.

'**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

"**Potter, did she say?"**

"**The Harry Potter?"**

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

"**Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"'**

Silence. Dead Silence. Then Ron chocked out, "You could have gone anywhere?"

Harry blushed as he nodded.

"That is incredible," Madam Sprout said. "Not many people pass through these halls that hold all qualities that the Founders cherished."

Harry turned even redder.

'**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.**

"**Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that'**

Again, silence.

"The Golden Boy, a snake in lions fur?" Moody chuckled, breaking the silence. "You would have done our house proud kid."

"Thanks sir," Harry smiled at the man he thought of as an eccentric uncle.

'— **no? Well, if you're sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!"'**

The lions cheered very loud. Some of the seventh years went over to Harry and hoisted him onto their shoulders. Harry laughed and waved enjoying that this was all for fun.

'**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, **

"**We got Potter! We got Potter!"'**

They gave a repeat performance and everyone laughed. Though Molly looked ready to yell. Though no one cared.

'**Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.'**

"I hate that!" many of the students around the room exclaimed, with others nodding in agreement.

'**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.'**

Harry, Ron and Hermione all glowered at the mention of Voldemort's former souls carrier. Several of the people around them raised eyebrows.

"That man couldn't teach anything," Neville sighed.

"Ya, well there's a reason behind it," Harry growled. He just waved of the questioning looks. "End of the book."

'**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. **

"**Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table.'**

Dean got up and gave a fist pump as the lions cheered.

'"**Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw'**

The shy girl gave a small wave as the Ravenclaws cheered.

'**and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"'**

Once again the lions burst into cheers as Ron gave a flourished bow and a cheeky grin.

'**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

"**Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.'**

The snakes cheered loudly as the Italian boy gave a saucy wink.

'**Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away. Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago. **

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

"**Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"'**

Many of the people in the hall shook their heads at the crazy old man.

'"**Thank you!"**

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

"**Is he — a bit mad?" he asked Percy uncertainly.'**

"Yes," Many people said.

'"**Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"**

**Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked.'**

"We did starve you love," Petunia said sadly. "I tried to get you as much food as I could but it wasn't enough sometimes."

"It's alright Aunt Petunia," Harry said softly. "I understand. You don't need to apologize or feel guilty, it was all Vernon."

Petunia gave her nephew a small smile which was returned.

'**Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if It made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

"**That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.**

"**Can't you —?"**

"**I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."**

"**I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you — you're Nearly Headless Nick!"**

"**I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy —" the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired **

**Seamus Finnigan interrupted. **

"**Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"**

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.'**

"That's actualy what he wants to happen," Fred laughed. "He likes to spook the First Years."

"But how CAN you be nearly headless?" Dudley asked confused.

"You'll see in a second D," Harry laughed.

'"**Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly.' **

Petunia and Dudley blanched and paled.

"How horrible," Petunia muttered, her son nodding in agreement.

'**Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, **

"**So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."'**

"Six Years with the title!?" James and Sirius yelled in shock. "NOO!"

Regulas and Severus looked smug as did Professor Snape.

'**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.'**

"He is actually quite nice to those who earn his respect," Draco said reassuringly. "Most of the time it's his Slytherins, but occasionally there are others. He likes the Weasley twins and Harry for example."

"It's true," George said. "He has helped us avoid detention with Filch on more than occasion."

"He is also a good listener when I needed someone who doesn't know me to vent to," Harry said softly. "He was the only who would listen without asking a hundred different questions about the different things that have happened each year."

Many of the adults looked down in shame at having fallen onto that category. Many students were amazed about the fact Harry found a friend in the Bloody Baron.

'"**How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.**

"**I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.'**

Harry's kids, Teddy, Rose, and Hugo smirked. Severus caught it and sighs;

"He finds out doesn't he?"

"Spoilers!"

Everyone groans getting really tiered of that word.

'**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…**

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart,'**

"My favorite," Harry smiles.

"Mine to," James smiles and ruffles Harry's hair.

"Same!" All three future Potter's chime. Harry and James smile at that.

'**the talk turned to their families.**

"**I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."'**

"That can end Very badly," Severus frowned.

Seamus nods; "I know I got lucky. My dad's family wasn't as supportive. My mom had to oblivate them."

Many muggleborns and half-bloods grimace in sympathy.

'**The others laughed.'**

Harry frowned. "I didn't laugh, its now funny."

The people who laughed before looked uncomfortable.

'"**What about you, Neville?" said Ron.**

"**Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned — but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."'**

"WHAT!" Frank shouted. "I am so having words with Mother when we are done here. You can't force someone to show magic!"

"I will be having words with Augusta as well Frank," Minerva said sternly, thinking about her lion almost being killed just to see his magic.

'**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult —"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing — ").**

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.'**

"Thanks Potter," Professor Snape snarked.

"You're Welcome Sir," Harry said cheekily.

The potions master gave a small smile at the grinning teen before shaking his head fondly, finding it hard to dislike the young savior.

'**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes — and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.'**

"What," Snape demanded. "I didn't do anything."

Harry placed a calming hand on his father's arm and shot a look at Sirius as they both made to hex the teacher.

"It wasn't you Professor," Harry assured. "I found out later that it was someone else in the hall who wanted to make you seem like the bad guy."

Professor Snape sighed and nodded at the explanation.

'"**Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

"**What is it?" asked Percy.**

"**N-nothing."'**

"You could have told me Harry," Percy said softly. "I would have helped you find out why."

"I know Percy," Harry explained. "But it happened so quickly I thought I imagined it."

'**The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had gotten from the teacher's look — a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.'**

"You weren't wrong," Snape sighed. "I wish you were though. In my defense though I was thought you were a spoiled brat who needed to keep a level head, no one ever told me any different."

Harry nodded.

'"**Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Percy.**

"**Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."**

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.'**

"No," Snape said. "I was trying to ignore the stuttering idiot who was sitting next to me."

Harry laughed at that. "I don't blame you."

Everyone looked on in amazement as the two talked civilly. Dumbledore was fuming in his seat.

'**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

"**Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.**

"**First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."**

**Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.'**

"It was one time," Fred complained.

"We didn't even go in!" George said.

Harry raised an eyebrow at them asking if it is the truth, and surprisingly it was.

'"**I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.'**

Everyone snorted at that.

"Stupid rule," a young Ravenclaw said with others nodding along.

'"**Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.**

"**And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."'**

"What!" everyone from the past, Petunia, and the Ministry workers yelped.

"You told that to a bunch of teenagers and Pre-teens! Are you insane?" Petunia screeched. "That's inviting them to do something stupid!"

Dumbledore acted properly repentant but on the inside he was laughing, _I knew Harry wouldn't be able to resist that's why I said it you stupid muggle._

"My question is why you didn't just set up wards and tell them not to go near it?" Amelia asked. "Why not say structural damage or something? And why wasn't the Ministry notified."

"I was protecting something for a friend," the old man muttered. "It slipped my mind to just set up wards."

He was glared at some more but the subject was dropped.

'**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

"**He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.**

"**Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."'**

"Yes, why weren't the prefects informed?" Minerva asked. "A patrol could have been set up around there to keep students out?"

She was ignored.

'"**And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.'**

The teachers were heard grumbling about stupid songs and embarrassing headmasters.

'**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

"**Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"**

**And the school bellowed:'**

Arthur stopped reading and said; "I am not singing nor do I really want to say it."

"Daddy could sing it!" Lils exclaimed. "He can make anything sound good."

Harry looked reluctant but caved under a four way puppy dog eyes from his kids and godson.

"Fine," He huffed as he began to sing;

'"_**Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,**_

_**Teach us something please,**_

_**Whether we be old and bald**_

_**Or young with scabby knees,**_

_**Our heads could do with filling**_

_**With some interesting stuff,**_

_**For now they're bare and full of air,**_

_**Dead flies and bits of fluff,**_

_**So teach us things worth knowing,**_

_**Bring back what we've forgot,**_

_**just do your best, we'll do the rest,**_

_**And learn until our brains all rot."'**_

The hall burst into applause when he was done. Harry blushed Weasley red. Draco leaned down and whispered in his ear;

"You really can sing amazingly."

Harry, if possible turned even redder. Arthur took pity on the son of his heart and continued;

'**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

"**Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"'**

"What are we? Horses?" Daphne asked sarcastically from her seat next to Blaise.

'**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.'**

Dudley and Petunia were hanging off of every word.

'**They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt. A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

"**Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." **

**He raised his voice, "Peeves — show yourself."**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

"**Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"**

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

"**Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

"**Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.'**

Neville rubbed his head in remembrance.

"At least he only really picks on those who mess with him," Harry said.

'**They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.**

"**You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.'**

"That's where the entrance is!" A few students from other houses exclaimed.

"You won't be able to get in," Flitwick says. "The entrances are enchanted so that only students of that house or students who posses the qualities values by that house can get in. The only other way you can get it, is if you are invited by a member of that house."

Harry and Ron traded surprised looks at that, remembering their second year. _Ron must be part Slytherin then._ Harry thought. There was a lot of grumbling heard around the hall at that announcement.

'"**Password?" she said.**

"**Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.'**

All the Gryffindors smiled at their home. It truly was amazing.

'**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.**

"**Great food, isn't it?" Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. "Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets."'**

"Ew," Many people said.

"Not pleasant," Ron agreed. _Especially with whom it really was. _He thought disgusted.

'**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.  
Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully — and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it — then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold — there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.'**

Harry, Ron and Hermione all exchanged surprised glances at that, understanding the meaning behind it.

"Is there any seer blood in our family?" Harry asked his parents.

"Yes," James said thinking back to his family history. "We are the descendants from Rowena Ravenclaw's younger sister who married Ignotus Peverell , the name that was later changed to Potter. The young woman's name was Malinda and she was a full seer. The ability was passed down for a few generations but it has died out so that the most anyone can get are prophetic dreams that mostly are never remembered or small visions that make no sense."

"Are you saying that this is a prophetic dream?" Lily asked her son.

Harry nodded slightly stunned at that revelation. Trelawney was looking at him as if a peace of rare meat, he made a mental note to stay far away from her for a while.

'**He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream** **at all.'**

"That's the end of that chapter," Arthur said as he closed the book.

"Right," Dumbledore said as he stood. "All students are to remain here like last night and the others are to head to the rooms assigned yesterday. Madam Pomphrey, you may use the teachers room to examine Mr. Potter, the teachers will remain here until you are through."

The medi-witch nodded and Harry followed reluctantly behind as she, Lily, James, Petunia and Dudley and his children all made their way over to that room. When they arrived Lily and Poppy warded the door.

"Alright Mr. Potter pick a bed and we will begin," Poppy said.

Harry nodded and laid on a bed as she took out her wand and began to run diagnostic spells.

* * *

**Read and Review please!**


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